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MRS.    ROBEKTS. 


Ester  Ried 


YET    SPEAKING. 


BY   PANSY, 


AUTHOR  OK  "MUS.  SOLOMON"  SMITH  LOOKIXG  ON,"   "  HALL  IN 

THE  GROVE,"   "a   XEWOIFT  OX  THE  FAMILY  TREE," 

"FIVE  FRIENDS,"   "  MARY  BURTON,"    "THE 

POCKET   MEASURE,"    "ESTER 

KIEU,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


BOSTON: 
D.  LOTHROP   AND   COMPANY. 

32  FR-iNKLiN  Street. 


Copyright, 
By  D.  Lothkop  axd  Company, 


ELECTROTYPED. 


BOSTOS  STEKEOTYPE  FOUNDBY, 
4  PEARL  6TREET. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
It  mat  be  that  she  is  Working  still     .       .       7 


CHAPTER  II. 
What  did  it  all  Amount  to,  anyhow?  .        .      22 

CHAPTER  in. 
Anything  uncommon  about  me  ?        .       .       .37 

CHAPTER  IV. 
I  don't  Blame  them 52 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Chkistian  Home 67 

CHAPTER   VI. 
Satan  he  Has  'em  all  the  Week     ...      83 

CHAPTER  VII. 
What  a  little  Schemek  it  is     .       .       .       .99 


iv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
What  would  you  Do,  Dear  ?     .        .        .        .    114 

CHAPTER    IX. 
"Tremendous  Facts!"  he  said  ....    130 

CHAPTER  X. 
And  she  always  Tried 146 

CHAPTER  XI. 
I  have  but  to  try  again 159 

CHAPTER  XII. 
I  Want  them  to  Get  UseO  to  Parlors   .       .    176 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Let  us  be  fashionable 189 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
"Something's  Happened!" 204 

CHAPTER  XV. 
What  Made  her  different?       .        .        .        .215 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Here  Was  his  Opi'Ortunity        ....    232 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
I  Wonder  what  they  're  all  after        .       .    247 


Contents.  v 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Yourn's  the  Way 264 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
We  have  Begun  backwards       ....    227 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Oh,  what  a  nice  Thought!        ....    291 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Had  his  Experiment  been  too  severe  ?   .        .    304 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Some  People  are  hard  to  warn       .        .        .316 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Part  of  the  great  well-to-do  World    .        .    329 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 
For  you  don't  Know  what  may  Come     .        .    341 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

What  do  you  Hope  to  Accomplish  ?        .        .    353 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
"O  Lord,  Take  Dirk  too!"        .        .        .        .365 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
An  awful  Problem 376 


vi  Contents. 

CHAPTER  XXViri. 
May  she  Go  with  me  ? 390 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 
What  if  I  Belonged? 405 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
It  is  no  made-up  Affair 421 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
Their  Works  do  Follow  them  .       .       .  434 


ESTER  PtIED  "YET  SPEAKING." 


CHAPTER  I. 


"IT  MAY  BE  THAT  SHE  IS  WORKING  STILL." 


T  was  raining  drearily,  and  but  few 
people  were  abroad  —  that  is,  few, 
comparatively  speaking,  though  the 
streets  seemed  full  of  hurrying,  drip- 
ping mortals.  In  the  large  dry-goods  store 
business  was  by  no  means  so  brisk  as  on  sunny 
da^^s,  and  one  of  the  younger  clerks,  whose  sta- 
tion was  near  a  window  looking  out  upon  the 
thoroughfare,  had  time  to  stand  gazing  at  the 
passers-by.  They  did  not  seem  to  interest 
him  particularly,  or  else  they  puzzled  him. 
His  young,  handsome  face  wore  a  thoughtful 
look,  almost  a  troubled  expression  about  the 
eyes,  which  seemed  to  be  gazing  beyond  the 

7 


8  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

passers-by.  Just  across  the  aisle  from  him,  a 
lady,  seated  in  one  of  the  easy  chairs  set  for  the 
accommodation  of  shoppers,  waited  and  watched 
him,  —  a  yomig  and  pretty  woman,  tastefully, 
even  elegantly  dressed,  yet  her  costume  was 
quite  in  keeping  with  the  stormy  day.  The 
young  man's  face  seemed  to  have  special  interest 
for  her,  though  he  apparently  was  unaware  of 
her  existence.  A  close  observer  would  have 
discovered  that  she  was  watching  him  with 
deeply  interested  eyes.  Whatever  served  to 
hold  the  thoughts  of  the  young  man  appar- 
ently grew  in  perplexity,  for  the  troubled 
look  continually  deepened.  At  last,  forgetting 
the  possible  listener,  he  addressed  the  dripping 
clouds,  perhaps,  —  at  least,  he  was  looking  at 
them  :  — 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  do  it ;  but  something 
ought  to  be  done.  It  is  worse  than  folly  to  ex- 
pect good  from  the  way  that  things  are  now 
managed.  Ester  Avould  have  known  just  what, 
and  how ;  and  how  interested  she  would  have 
been  !  I  try  to  do  her  work,  and  to  '  redeem  the 
time ; '  but  the  simple  truth  is,  I  don't  know 
how,  and  nobody  else  seems  to." 


"  It  may  he  that  She  is  Working  Still."      9 

These  sentences  were  not  given  all  at  once, 
but  murmured  from  time  to  time  at  his  unsym- 
pathetic audience  outside. 

Patter,  patter,  patter,  drip,  drip,  drip  !  steady, 
uncompromising  business.  It  was  all  the  an- 
swer the  clouds  vouchsafed  him. 

With  the  listener  inside  it  was  different.  The 
interested  look  changed  to  an  eager  one.  She 
left  her  seat  and  moved  toward  the  absorbed 
young  man,  breaking  in  on  his  reverie  with  the 
clearest  of  voices  :  — 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  —  but  are  you  thinking 
of  your  sister?  You  are  Mr.  Ried,  I  believe? 
I  have  heard  of  your  sisters  life,  and  of  her 
beautiful  death,  through  a  dear  friend  of  my 
husband,  who  loved  Ester.  I  have  always 
wanted  to  know  more  about  her.  I  wanted  to 
get  acquainted  with  you,  so  I  might  ask  you 
things  about  her.  I  am  waiting  now  for  my 
husband  to  come  and  introduce  us.  But  per- 
haps it  is  n't  necessary.  Do  you  know  who  I 
am?" 

"It  is  Mrs.  Roberts,  I  believe?"  the  young 
man  said,  struijo-lincr  with  his  astonishment  and 
embarrassment. 


10  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking r 

"  Yes,  and  you  are  ]Mr.  Alfred  Eied.  Well, 
now  we  know  each  other  without  any  further 
ceremony.  Will  you  tell  me  a  little  about  your 
sister,  Mr.  Eied?  You  were  thinking  of  her 
just  now." 

"I  was  missing  her  just  now,"  said  he,  trying 
to  smile,  "  as  I  very  often  am.  I  was  a  little 
fellow  when  she  died ;  but  the  older  I  grow  the 
more  difficult  I  find  it  to  see  how  the  world  can 
spare  her.  She  was  so  full  of  plans  for  work, 
and  there  are  so  few  like  her." 

"  It  may  be  that  she  is  working  still,  in  the 
person  of  her  brother." 

He  shook  his  head  energetically,  though  his 
face  flushed. 

"  No,  I  can  only  blunder  vaguely  over  work 
that  I  know  she,  Avith  her  energetic  ways  and 
quick  wits,  could  have  done,  and  done  well.  It 
happens  that  she  was  especially  interested  in  a 
class  of  people  of  w^hom  I  know  something. 
They  need  help,  and  I  don't  know  how  to  help 
them.  It  seems  to  me  that  she  could  have 
done  it." 

"  Will  you  tell  me  who  the  people  are  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  set  of  boys  for  whom  nobody  cares,' 


"/«!  may  he  that  She  is  Working  Still."    11 

he  said,  speaking  sadly ;  "  it  hardly  seems  pos- 
sible that  there  could  ever  have  been  a  time 
when  anybody  cared  for  them,  though  I  suppose 
their  mothers  did  when  they  were  little  fel- 
lows." 

Thus  spoke  the  ignorant  young  man,  —  igno- 
rant of  the  depths  to  which  sin  will  sink  human 
nature,  but  rich  in  the  memory  of  mother-love. 

"  I  think  of  my  sister  Ester  in  connection  with 
them,"  he  said,  speaking  apologetically,  "be- 
cause she  was  peculiarly  interested  in  wild  young 
fellows  like  them ;  she  thought  they  might  be 
reached,  —  that  there  might  be  Avays  invented 
for  reaching  them,  such  as  had  not  been  yet. 
She  had  plans,  and  they  were  good  ones.  I 
thought  so  then,  little  fellow  that  I  was,  and  I 
think  so  now,  only  nobody  is  at  work  carrying 
them  out ;  and  I  wonder  sometimes  if  Ester 
could  have  been  needed  in  heaven  half  as  much 
as  she  is  needed  on  earth.  She  used  to  talk  to 
me  a  great  deal  about  what  might  be  done.  I 
think  now  that  she  wanted  to  put  me  in  the  way 
of  taking  up  some  of  the  work  that  she  would 
have  done ;  but  she  mistook  her  material.  I 
can't  do  it." 


12  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  You  are  young  yet,  and  be- 
sides, 30U  may  be  doing  more  than  you  think. 
Could  n't  I  help  ?  What  is  there  that  needs 
doing  for  these  particular  young  men  ?  " 

"  Everything  !  "  he  said,  excitedly.  "  If  j^ou 
should  see  them  vou  Avould  ffet  a  faint  idea  of 
it.  They  come  occasionally  down  to  the  Sab- 
bath-school at  the  South  End  ;  in  fact,  they  come 
quite  frequently,  though  I'm  sure  I  can't  see 
why.  It  certainly  is  n't  for  any  good  that  they 
get.  Their  actions,  Mrs.  Roberts,  surpass  any- 
thing that  I  ever  imagined. 

"AVho  is  their  teacher?" 

"  That  Tvould  be  a  difficult  question  to  an- 
swer. They  have  a  different  teacher  every  Sab- 
bath. No  one  is  willing  to  undertake  the  class 
twice.  They  have  tried  all  the  teachers  who 
attend  regularly,  and  several  who  have  volun- 
teered for  once,  and  never  would  attempt  it  a 
second  time.  Just  now,  there  is  no  one  M^ho  will 
make  a  venture." 

"  Have  you  tried  ?  " 

lie  shook  his  head  emphatically. 

"  I  know  at  least  so  much.  AVhy,  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts, some  of  them  are  as  old  as  I,  and,  indeed. 


"/«!  may  he  that  She  is  Working  Still."    13 

I  think  one  or  two  are  older.  No ;  we  have 
secured  the  best  teachers  that  we  could  for 
them,  but  each  one  has  been  a  failure.  I  sup- 
pose they  must  go." 

"Go  where?" 

He  shruofo-ed  his  shoulders. 

"  What  an  awful  (juestion  !  Where  will  they 
go,  Mrs.  Roberts,  if  we  let  them  slip  now?" 

He  was  tremendously  in  earnest.  One  could 
not  help  feeling  that  he  had  studied  the  possibili- 
ties, and  felt  the  danger. 

"  Suppose  I  try  to  help  !  Shall  I  come  and 
take  that  class  next  Sabbath  ?  " 

This  simple,  directly-put  question  brought 
the  young  man  suddenlj^  from  the  heights  of  his 
excitement  into  visible  embarrassment.  He 
looked  down  on  the  small,  fair  lady,  reaching 
hardly  to  his  shoulder,  attired  in  that  unmistak- 
able way  which  bespeaks  the  lady  of  werdth 
and  culture,  and  could  imasfine  nothing  more 
incongruous  than  to  have  her  seated  before  that 
class  of  swearing,  spitting,  fighting  boys.  Not 
that  her  wealth  or  her  culture  was  an  objection, 
but  she  looked  so  utterly  unlike  what  he  had 
imagined  their  teacher  must  be, — she  was  so 


14  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'" 

small,  so  frail,  so  fair  and  sweet,  and  ignorant 
of  the  ways  of  the  great  wicked  world,  and 
especially  of  those  great  wicked  boys  !  What 
could  he  say  to  her  ? 

He  was  so  manifestly  embarrassed  that  the 
small  lady  laughed. 

"  You  think  I  cannot  do  it,"  she  said,  almost 

gayiy. 

He  hastened  to  answer  her. 

"  Indeed,  you  have  no  idea  of  the  sort  of  class 
it  is.  I  have  given  you  no  conception  of  it ;  I 
cannot.  You  would  think  yourself  before  a  set 
of  uncaged  animals." 

"  Yes,  and  in  case  of  failure  I  should  only  be 
where  the  others  are,  who  have  tried  and  failed. 
If  you  will  introduce  me,  and  your  superin- 
tendent will  let  me,  I  mean  to  try ;  and  that 
will  relieve  you  of  the  dilemma  of  being  entirely 
without  a  teacher  for  them." 

Young  Ried  had  nothing  to  say.  He  thought 
the  attempt  a  piece  of  folly,  —  a  worse  than  use- 
less experiment ;  but  how  was  he  to  say  so  to 
the  wife  of  his  employer? 

That  gentleman  appeared  just  then,  making 
haste. 


"  It  may  be  that  She  is  Working  Still."    15 

"  I  was  unavoidably  detained,"  he  explained  ; 
"  I  feared  you  would  grow  weary  of  waiting. 
Ah,  Ried,  my  wife  has  introduced  herself,  I  see. 
Is  he  the  young  man  you  were  speaking  of, 
Mrs.  Eobcrts?" 

"  The  very  young  man,  — Ester  Ried's  brother. 
He  does  n't  know  how  glad  I  am  to  have  met 
him.  Some  day  when  we  are  better  acquainted, 
and  you  trust  me  more  fully,  I  am  going  to  tell 
you  how  I  became  so  deeply  interested  in  your 
dear  sister.  Meantime  this  little  matter  should 
be  definitely  settled.  Mr.  Roberts,  I  have  in- 
vited myself  to  take  a  class  to-morrow  down  at 
the  South  End  ^Mission." 

"Have  you,  indeed?  " 

Mr.  Roberts  spoke  heartily,  and  seemed  by 
no  means  dismayed,  —  only  a  trifle  perplexed 
as  to  details. 

"  How  can  we  manage  it.  Flossy  ?  My  prison 
class  takes  me  in  an  opposite  direction  at  the 
same  hour,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  I  thought  of  that ;  I  propose  to  ask 
Mr.  Ried  to  call  for  me,  and  show  me  the  way, 
and  vouch  for  my  good  intentions  after  I  reach 
there.     Do  you  suppose  he  will  do  it?" 


16  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking" 

She  looked  smilingly  from  her  husband  to 
young  Ried,  and  both  waited  for  his  an- 
swer. 

"  I  obey  directions,"  he  said,  bowing  respect- 
fully to  Mr.  Eoberts.  "  Am  I  to  have  the 
honor  of  being  detailed  for  that  service  to- 
morrow ?  " 

"  So  Mrs.  Roberts  says,"  was  the  good- 
humored  reply,  and  then  the  merchant  took  his 
wife  away  to  their  waiting  carriage  that  had 
drawn  up  before  the  door,  leaving  Alfred  Ried, 
if  the  truth  must  be  told,  in  a  fume.  « 

"  Much  she  knows  what  she  is  talking  about ! " 
he  said,  jerking  certain  boxes  out  of  their  places 
on  the  shelves,  and  then  bans^ing  them  back 
again,  seeming  to  suppose  that  he  was  by  this 
process  putting  his  department  in  order  for 
closing.  "  Little  bit  of  a  dressed-up  doll !  They 
will  tear  her  into  ribbons,  metaphorically,  if  not 
literally,  before  this  time  to-morrow !  She 
thinks,  because  she  is  the  wife  of  Evan  Roberts, 
the  great  merchant,  she  can  go  anywhere  and  do 
anything,  and  that  people  will  respect  her.  She 
has  never  had  anything  to  do  with  a  set  of  fel- 
lows who  care  less  than  nothing  about  money 


^'  It  ma  I)  he  that  She  is  Working  Still."     17 

and  position,  except  to  be  ten  times  more  inso- 
lent and  outrageous  in  their  conduct  than  they 
would  if  she  had  less  of  it !  I  shall  feel  like  a 
born  idiot  in  presenting  this  pretty  little  doll  to 
teach  that  class  !  Mr.  Durant  will  think  I  have 
lost  what  few  wits  I  had !  What  can  possess 
the  woman  to  want  to  try  ?  It  is  just  because 
she  has  no  conception  of  what  she  is  about ! 
But  Mr.  Roberts  must  know  —  I  wonder  what 
he  means  by  permitting  it?" 

In  very  much  the  same  state  of  mind  did  our 
young  man  pilot  his  new  and  unsought-for  re- 
cruit into  the  crowded  mission  rooms  of  the 
South  End  on  the  following  Sabbath  afternoon. 
She  looked  not  one  whit  less  able  to  compete 
with  the  terrors  which  awaited  the  teacher  of 
the  formidable  class. 

Her  dress  was  simplicity  itself,  according  to 
Mrs.  Roberts'  ideas  of  simplicity  ;  yet,  from  the 
row  of  ostrich  tips  that  bobbed  and  nodded  at 
each  other,  all  around  the  front  of  her  velvet 
hat,  to  the  buttons  of  her  neat-fitting  boots,  she 
seemed  to  bring  a  new  atmosphere  into  the 
room. 

Yesterday's  rain  was  over,  and  the  pleasant 


18  Ester  liied  "  Yet  Speaking." 

south  windows  were  aglow  Avith  sunshine.  As 
Mrs.  Roberts  sat  down  the  sunbeams  came  and 
played  about  her  face,  and  she  seemed  in  keep- 
ing with  them,  and  with  nothing  else  around 
her. 

The  superintendent  bestowed  curious  glances 
on  her  during  the  opening  exercises.  He  had 
seen  the  shadow  on  young  Ried's  face  when  he 
seated  her,  and  had  found  time  to  question. 

"  Whom  have  we  here  ?  " 

"  Mrs.  Evan  Roberts.  She  wants  to  try  the 
vacant  class  !  /  did  not  ask  her,  Mr.  Durant ; 
she  invited  herself  " 

Mr.  Durant  looked  over  at  her,  and  tried  to 
keep  his  eyes  from  smiling. 

"  She  looks  very  diminutive  in  every  way  fot 
such  an  undertaking.  They  will  frighten  her 
out  before  she  commences,  will  they  not?" 

"  I  presume  so  ;  but  I  did  n't  know  what  to  do. 
She  wanted  to  come,  and  I  could  not  tell  her  she 
must  not." 

"No,  of  course, — the  occasion  is  too  rare  to 
lose.  Very  few  people  ask  the  privilege  of  try- 
ing that  class.  There  is  no  teacher  for  them 
to-day ;  and  your  Mrs.  Roberts  must  learn  by 


''II  wMy  he  that  She  is  Working  Still:'    19 

experience  that  some  things  are  more  difficult 
than  others.     I  will  let  her  try  it." 

Meantime,  " the  boys"  of  the  dreaded  class 
were  studying  the  new  face.  She  was  the  only 
person  not  already  seated  before  a  class,  and 
they  naturally  judged  that  she  was  to  be  their 
next  victim.  They  looked  at  her  and  then  at 
one  another,  and  winked  and  coughed  and 
sneezed  and  nudsred  elbows  and  OTfifijled  out- 
right,  every  one  of  them,  —  meantime  chewing 
tobacco  with  all  their  might,  and  expectorating 
freely  wherever  he  judged  it  would  be  most 
offensive. 

Alfred  Ried  watched  them,  inwardly  groan- 
ing. Being  used  to  their  faces,  he  could  plainly 
read  that  they  anticipated  a  richer  time  than 
usual,  and  rejoiced  greatly  over  the  youth  and 
beauty  of  their  victim. 

But  young  Ried  was  not  the  only  one  who 
watched.  Mrs.  Roberts,  without  seeming:  to  be 
aware  of  their  presence,  lost  not  a  wriggle  or  a 
nudge.  She  was  studying  her  material ;  and  it 
must  be  confessed  that  they  startled  her  not  a 
little.  They  represented  a  different  type  of 
humanity  from   her   Chautauqua  boys,  or  her 


20  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

boys  in  the  old  church  at  home,  —  rather,  an 
advanced  stage  of  both  those  types. 

When  Mr,  Durant  came  toward  her,  the  look 
on  his  face  was  not  reassuring,  it  so  plainly  said 
that  he  expected  failure,  and  Avas  sorry  for  her 
as  well  as  for  himself.  However,  with  as  good 
grace  as  he  could  assume,  he  led  her  to  the  seat 
prepared  for  the  teacher,  and  gave  her  a  formal 
introduction. 

"  Boys,  this  is  Mrs.  Roberts,  who  is  willing 
to  try  to  teach  you  to-da3\  I  ivish  you  would 
show  her  that  you  know  how  to  behave  your- 
selves." 

Mrs.  Roberts  wished  that  he  had  left  her  to 
introduce  herself,  or  that  he  had  said  almost 
anything  rather  than  what  he  did  ;  the  mischiev- 
ous gleam  in  several  pairs  of  eyes  said  that  they 
meant  to  show  her  something  that  they  con- 
sidered far  more  interesting  than  that. 

Many  were  the  sympathetic  glances  that  were 
bestowed  on  the  young  and  pretty  lady  as  she 
went  to  her  task.  As  for  Alfred  Ried,  there 
was  more  than  sympathy  in  his  face.  He  was 
vexed  with  the  young  volunteer  and  vexed  with 
himself. 


^' It  may  be  that  She  is  Working  Still."     21 

He  told  himself  savagely  that  this  was  what 
came  of  his  silly  habit  of  thinking  aloud.  If  only 
he  had  kept  his  anxieties  about  that  class  to  him- 
self, Mrs.  Eoberts  would  never  have  heard  of  it, 
and  been  tempted  to  put  herself  in  such  a  ridicu- 
lous position  ;  and  if  this  episode  did  not  break 
him  of  the  habit,  he  did  not  know  what  Avould. 

He  was  presently,  however,  given  a  class  of 
small  boys,  with  enough  of  original  and  acquired 
depravity  al)Out  them  to  keep  him  intensely 
employed,  and  the  entire  school  settled  to 
work. 


CHAPTER  II. 

"WHAT  DID  IT  ALL  AMOUNT  TO,  ANYHOW?" 

ETTLED,  that  is,  so  far  as  the  class 
of  boys  in  the  corner  would  permit  the 
use  of  that  terra.  They  had  not  set- 
tled in  the  least.  Two  of  them  in- 
dulged in  a  louder  burst  of  lausfhter  than  before, 
just  as  Mrs.  Roberts  took  her  seat.  Yet  her 
face  was  in  no  wise  ruffled. 

"  Good  afternoon,"  she  said,  with  as  much 
courtesy  as  she  would  have  used  in  addressing 
gentlemen.  "I  wonder  if  you  know  that  I  am 
a  stranger  in  this  great  city?  You  are  almost 
the  first  acquaintances  that  I  am  making  among 
the  young  people,  and  I  have  a  fancy  that  I 
would  like  to  have  you  all  for  my  friends. 
Suppose  we  enter  into  a  compact  to  be  excel- 
lent and  faithful  friends  to  one  another?  What 
do  you  say  ?  " 

What  were  they  to  say?     They  were  slightly 
22 


^^What  did  it  all  Amount  tOy  Anyhow^''''  23 

taken  back,  surprised  into  listening  quietly  to 
the  close  of  the  strange  sentence,  and  then 
giving  no  answer  beyond  violent  nudges  and 
aside  looks.  What  did  she  mean?  Was  she 
"chaffing"  them?  This  was  unlike  the  opemng 
of  any  lesson  !  It  certainly  could  not  bo  the 
first  question  on  the  lesson-paper ;  nor  did  it 
sound  like  certain  well-meant  admonitions  to 
"try  to  improve  the  opportunity"  and  "learn 
all  that  they  could."  With  each  of  these  com- 
mencements they  were  entirely  familiar;  but 
this  was  something  new. 

"  Do  you  agree  to  the  compact  ?  "  she  asked, 
while  they  waited,  her  face  bright  with  smiles. 

"  Dunno  about  that,"  said  one  whom  she  very 
soon  discovered  occupied  the  position  of  a  ring- 
leader ;  "  as  a  general  thing,  we  like  to  be  kind 
of  careful  about  our  friendships ;  we  might 
strike  something  that  was  n't  quite  the  thing 
with  people  in  our  position.  You  can't  be  too 
careful  in  a  big  city,  you  know." 

It  is  impossible  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the 
impishness  with  which  this  impudent  answer 
was  jerked  out,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the 
others,  who  laughed  immoderately. 


24  Ester  Hied  ''Yet  iSjjealang." 

It  suited  Mrs.  Roberts  to  treat  the  reply  with 
perfect  seriousness  and  composure. 

"That  is  very  true,"  she  said,  courteously; 
"but  at  the  same  time  I  venture  to  hope  that 
since  you  know  nothing  ill  of  me  as  yet,  you 
will  receive  me  into  a  sort  of  conditional  friend- 
ship, with  the  understanding  that  I  remain  your 
friend  until  I  am  guilty  of  some  conduct  that 
ought  to  justify  you  in  deserting  me.  I  am  sure 
you  cannot  object  to  that ;  and  now,  if  we  are  to 
be  friends,  we  should  know  each  other's  names. 
I  am  Mrs.  Evan  Roberts,  and  I  live  at  No. 
76  East  Fifty-fifth  Street.  I  shall  be  glad 
to  see  you  at  my  house  whenever  you  would 
like  to  call  on  me.  Now,  will  one  of  you  be 
kind  enough  to  introduce  himself  and  the  class  ? 
Perhaps  you  will  introduce  me  to  your  friends  ?" 

She  looked  directly  at  the  ringleader. 

"Certainly  I  certainly,  mum!"  he  replied, 
briskly.  "  This  is  Mr.  Carrot  Pumpkins,  at 
your  service,  mum  —  this  fellow  on  my  left,  I 
mean  ;  rather  a  queer  name,  I  dare  say  you 
think.  It  all  came  of  his  beinsr  fond  of  sittinof 
astride  of  a  pumpkin  when  he  was  a  little 
shaver,  and  of  his  hair  being  exactly  the  color 


"  What  did  it  all  Amount  to.  Anyhow  f  "    25 

of  carrots,  as  you  can  see  for  yourself.  And 
this  fellow  on  my  right  is  Mr.  Champion 
Chawer,  so  called  becatise  he  can  make  the 
biggest  run  on  tobacco  of  any  of  the  set,  taking 
him  day  in  and  day  out.  That  fellow  at  your 
elbow  is  '  Slippery  Jim.'  We  don't  call  him 
*  Mister,'  because  he  does  n't  stay  long  enough 
in  one  place  to  have  it  tacked  on  to  him.  He  is 
such  a  slippery  scamp  that  an  eel  is  nowhere, 
compared  to  him." 

During  this  rapid  flow  of  words  the  listeners, 
who  evidently  admired  their  leader,  became  so 
convulsed  with  laughter  as  to  lose  all  vestige  of 
respectability,  and  Mr.  Durant's  disturbed  face 
appeared  in  view. 

"  Boys,  this  is  perfectly  disgraceful ! "  he 
said,  speaking  in  sharp  and  highly-excited 
tones, — "  perfectly  disgraceful !  I  don't  know 
why  you  wish  to  come  here  to  disturb  us  in  this 
way  Sabbath  after  Sabbath  !  But  we  have  really 
endured  enough.  There  is  a  policeman  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs,  and  he  can  easily  call  others 
to  his  help  ;  so  now  if  you  wish  to  remain  here 
you  must  behave  yourselves." 

Durins:  the  deliverance  of  this  sentence  some 


26  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Sj)eakmgr 

of  the  boys  gave  mimic  groans,  one  of  them 
whistled,  and  others  kept  up  a  running  com- 
ment :  — 

"  A  policeman  !  oh  good  !  that 's  little  Duffer, 
I  know!  We've  seen  him  before!  Wouldn't 
mind  giving  him  a  chase  to-day,  just  for  exer- 
cise, you  know,  mum." 

"I  say,  boys,  let's  cut  and  run,  the  whole 
caboodle  of  us.  We  can  jump  these  seats  at 
one  bound,  and  take  the  little  woman  along  on 
our  shoulders  for  a  ride!  Shall  we  do  it?" 
This  from  the  leader,  who  in  time  came  to  be 
known  as  "  Nimble  Dick." 

"Bah!  no!"  replied  a  third;  "let's  stick  it 
out  and  see  what  she 's  got  to  say  ;  she  's  a  new 
party.  Besides,  we  can't  give  her  the  slip  in 
that  way  ;  we  're  friends  of  hers,  you  know." 

"Mrs.  Eoberts,"  said  the  distressed  Mr. 
Durant,  in  a  not  very  goo'd  undertone,  "  I  think 
you  will  have  to  give  it  up.  They  are  worse 
than  usual  this  morning.  We  have  endured 
nmch  from  them,  and  I  must  say  that  my 
patience  is  exhausted.  AYill  you  not  take  the 
seat  at  the  other  end  of  the  room?" 

**  Not  unless  they  wish  me  to." 


"  WTiat  did  it  all  Amount  to,  Anyhoio  9  "•    27 

The  people  who  had  known  Flossy  Shipley 
well  would  have  detected  a  curious  little  quiver 
in  her  voice,  which  meant  that  she  was  making- 
a  strong  effort  at  self-control ;  but  a  stranger 
would  hardly  have  observed  it. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  go  away,  young  gentle- 
men ?  " 

The  scamps  thus  appealed  to,  looked  at  one 
another  again,  as  if  in  doubt  what  to  say.  This 
again  was  new  ground  to  them.  Policemen  they 
were  accustomed  to.  At  last  Nimble  Dick 
made  answer :  — 

"No,  I'm  bound  if  we  do;  it  comes  the 
nearest  to  looking  like  a  lark  of  anything  that 
we  have  had  in  a  long  time.  I  say,  Parson,  go 
off  about  your  business  and  let  us  alone.  We 
was  having  a  good  time  getting  acquainted  till 
you  come  and  spoiled  it.  We  '11  fee  as  sober  as 
nine  deacons  at  a  prayer-meetin'.  And  look 
out  how  you  insult  this  young  woman  ;  she 's  a 
friend  of  ours,  and  we're  bound  to  protect  her. 
No  askino;  of  her  to  chaniye  her  seat ;  she 's 
going  to  sit  right  here  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter." 

Mr.  Durant  looked  his  willino-ness  to  summon 


28    •         Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

the  police  at  once,  but  Mrs.  Roberts'  voice, 
evenly  poised  now,  took  up  the  story  :  — 

"  Thank  you  ;  then  I  will  stay.  And  since  it 
is  getting  late,  suppose  we  lose  no  more  time. 
There  was  something  about  which  I  wanted  to 
tell  you.  But  a  few  evenings  ago  I  attended  a 
gathering  where  I  saw  some  very  singular  things. 
A  gentleman  in  the  party  was  tied  with  a  strong 
rope,  hands  and  feet,  as  firmly  as  two  men  could 
tie  him, —  people  who  kncAv  how  to  tie  knots,  and 
they  did  their  best ;  yet  wliile  we  stood  looking 
at  him  he  shook  his  hand  free  and  held  it  out  to 
them.     How  do  you  think  it  was  done?" 

"  Sham  knots  !  "  said  one. 

"No,  for  m}'  husband  was  one  of  the  gentle- 
men Avho  tied  him,  and  he  assured  me  that  he 
tied  the  rope  as  firmly  as  he  could.  Besides, 
more  wonderful  things  than  that  were  done.  I 
tied  my  own  handKerchief  into  at  least  a  dozen 
very  hard  knots,  and  gave  it  to  him,  and  I  saw 
him  put  it  in  a  glass  of  w^ater,  then  seize  it  and 
sliake  it  out,  and  the  knots  were  gone.  I  saw 
him  take  two  clean  glasses,  and  pour  water  from 
a  pitcher  into  one,  and  it  seemed  to  turn  instantly 
to  wine  j  then  he  poured  that  glass  of  wine  into 


"  What  did  it  all  Amount  to.  Anyhow  f  "    29 

the  other  empty  glass,  and  immediate! \^  it  turned 
back  to  water,  or  seemed  to.  Dozens  of  other 
strange  things  he  did.  I  should  really  like  to  tell 
you  about  them  all.  I  will,  at  some  other  time  ; 
but  just  now  I  think  you  would  like  to  know 
hoiv  he  did  them." 

"  How  he  did  them  ! "  "  As  if  you  could 
tell ! "'  "Can  you  tell  ?  "  "  Pitch  in,  mum  ;  I  'd 
like  to  hear  that  part  myself !  "  These  were 
some  of  the  eager  answers. 

Had  the  little  teacher,  under  the  embarrass- 
ments of  the  occasion,  taken  leave  of  her  senses  ? 
Actually  she  was  bending  forward,  opened  Bible 
turned  face  downward  on  her  knee,  engaged  in 
describing  in  somewhat  minute  detail  the  expla- 
nations of  certain  slight-of-hand  performances 
which  she  had  recently  seen  !  What  idea  of  the 
sacredness  of  the  office  of  teacher,  and  the  sol- 
emnity of  the  truths  to  be  taught,  had  she  ? 

The  boys  were  listening,  their  heads  bent  for- 
ward all  around  her.  What  of  that?  They 
would  have  listened  equally  well  to  a  graphicall^^- 
told  story  of  a  Fourth  Avenue  riot,  and  been 
equally  benefited,  you  think?  They  did  not 
know  just  when  the  speaker  slipped  from  the 


30  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Speaking r 

events  of  last  week  to  the  events  of  more  than 
three  thousand  years  ago.  Indeed,  so  ignoriuit 
were  they  of  all  past  history,  that  they  were  not 
even  aware  that  she  went  back  into  the  past ; 
for  aught  they  knew,  she  might  have  gone,  on 
Wednesday  of  last  week  to  see  the  man  who 
could  untie  kots  by  magic,  and  on  Thursday  to 
sec  the  men  who  could  drop  canes  on  the  ground 
that  would  appear  to  turn  into  wriggling  ser- 
pents. But  there  was  one  statement  that  proved 
too  much  for  their  credulity. 

"  You  could  not  imagine  what  occurred  next," 
said  the  bright-faced  teacher.  "  The  cane  or  rod 
that  the  first  man  had  dropped,  actually  opened 
its  mouth  and  swallowed  the  other  rods  that 
seemed  to  be  serpents,  and  was  left  there  alone 
in  its  triumph  !  " 

"  Oh,  bosh  !  "  said  Nimble  Dick,  contempt  ex- 
pressed in  the  very  curve  of  his  nose,  "that's 
too  steep  ;  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it !  These 
fellows  can  do  lots  of  queer  things  ;  I  've  seen 
'em  perform,  myself;  but  they  never  made  a  live 
thing  yet ;  I've  heard  folks  that  know,  say  so." 

"Precisely  what  I  wanted  to  reach, "said  Mrs. 
Roberts,  with  animation.     "You  are  right,  thev 


"  What  did  it  all  Amount  to^  Anyhoiv  9"    31 

never  did ;  and  you  have  discovered  just  the 
difference  between  them  and  the  one  man  of 
■whom  I  have  been  telling  you.  He  worked  by 
the  power  of  God  ;  he  distinctly  stated  that  he 
did ;  and  that  God  really  turned  his  rod  into  a 
serpent,  and  allowed  it  to  swallow  the  imitations 
of  life,  and  then  turned  it  back  again  into  a  rod, 
to  show  that  nothing  was  beyond  his  power." 

"  Did  you  see  the  thing  done  ?  "  questioned  a 
young  skeptic,  running  his  tongue  into  his  cheek 
in  a  skillful  way,  and  distorting  his  whole  face 
with  a  disagreeable  leer.  He  began  to  suspect 
that  he  was  being  cheated  into  listening  to  a 
Bible  story. 

Mrs.  Roberts  was  prompt  with  her  answer  :  — 

"  Oh,  no,  I  did  not,  neither  did  I  see  the  great 
fire  that  you  had  in  this  city  about  a  year  ago. 
At  that  time  I  was  a  thousand  miles  away  ;  and 
it  so  happens  that  I  have  never  talked  with  any 
person  who  did  see  it,  A^et  I  know  there  was  a 
great  fire,  and  many  buildings  were  burned,  and 
lives  lost.     It  has  been  proved  to  me." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  skeptic  number  two,  while 
number  one  retired  into  silence  to  speculate 
over   this   answer,  "  fires   are  common    enough 


32  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

things ;  anybody  c.in  kiion^  that  they  happen ; 
but  it  ain't  such  a  common  affair  to  see  a  stick 
turn  into  a  serpent  and  swallow  up  other  ser- 
pents. I've  seen  them  fellows  make  things  that 
looked  like  snakes,  myself;  I  could  most  swear 
to  it  that  I  'd  seen  them  wriggle  ;  but  they  never 
did  no  swallowing:' 

"  That  is,  they  did  not  give  unmistakable 
signs  that  they  were  alive.  But  do  you  think 
it  too  strange  a  thing  for  God  to  do?  Surely  he 
can  make  life  !  How  is  it  that  j^ou  are  here, 
breathing,  talking,  thinking,  if  there  is  no  power 
anywhere  to  make  life  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  came  from  a  tadpole,"  said  the  boast- 
ful young  scientist,  putting  his  thumbs  under  his 
arras,  and  affecting  an  air  of  great  wisdom.  "  I 
know  all  about  that ;  I  was  there,  and  see  the 
thinjjs  wriiTijle." 

Evolution  staring  her  in  the  face  m  a  corner 
class  in  a  mission  school ;  —  a  class  that  had  been 
gathered  from  the  slums  !  Mrs.  Roberts  did 
not  know  that  these  are  the  very  places  in  which 
to  iind  it  in  all  its  coarseness.  Yet  she  made 
haste  to  meet  the  boy  on  his  own  ground. 

"Very  well,  if  you  choose  to  take  that  view 


"  What  did  it  all  Amount  to,  Anyhow  ?  "    33 

of  it.  Was  not  the  tadpole  alive?  Where  did 
the  life -come  from?  You  insist  that  the  story  I 
have  been  telling  j^ou  is  untrue  because  you 
know  that  none  of  these  sleight-of-hand  per- 
formers have  ever,  or  can  ever  make  actual  life  ! 
That  it  is  an  impossible  thing  for  human  beings 
to  do.  Yet  when  I  tell  you  that  God  did  it 
vou  refuse  the  statement.  How  are  you  Jioins: 
to  account  for  life  ?  If,  in  its  very  lowest  forms, 
it  cannot  be  made  by  men  who  have  given  all 
their  time  to  the  study  of  the  marvellous,  how  is 
it  that  it  is  everywhere  about  us,  unless  I  am 
correct,  and  there  is  a  Power  that  can  produce 
life?" 

Not  a  boy  among  them  had  heard  the  term 
"evolution  ;  "  knew  anything  about  "the  survival 
of  the  fittest."  They  were  entirely  ignorant  of 
"  protoplasm  "  or  "  bioplasm  ;  "  yet  not  one  of 
them  but  had  caught  the  meaning  of  some  of 
these  terms  as  they  had  been  translated  for 
them  into  the  vernacular  of  the  city  slums  ;  not 
one  in  the  class  but  perceived  that  their  champion 
arguer  had  been  met  on  his  own  ground  and 
vanquished.  Not  with  an  outburst  of  horror  ;  he 
had  not  even  been  informed  that  he  was  irrever- 


34  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

ent.  Tsimble  Dick  delighted  in  making  each 
teacher  tell  him  this  ;  he  had  merely  been  replied 
to  in  the  calmest  of  argumentative  tones,  and 
called  upon  to  account  for  the  facts  in  his  own 
statements,  and  had  been  unable  to  do  so.  The 
crowd  broke  into  a  derisive  laugh,  and  were 
noisy,  it  is  true,  and  brought  troubled  frowns  to 
the  face  of  their  superintendent,  and  made  the 
flush  on  Alfred  Ried's  face  deepen  ;  yet  if  both 
these  anxious  watchers  had  known  it,  it  was 
worthy  of  note  that  the  laugh  had  been  at  the 
expense  of  one  of  their  number,  and  not  at 
their  teacher. 

"  Well,  go  on,"  interposed  the  youngest  and 
quietest  of  the  group.  "  Tell  us  some  more 
about  your  old  fellow  with  his  serpents.  Did 
they  stay  swallowed,  and  what  did  it  all  amount 
to,  anyhow?" 

Thus  challenged,  Mrs.  Roberts  gave  her  whole 
heart  to  the  business  of  giving,  in  as  dramatic  a 
manner  as  she  could,  the  closing  scenes  in  the 
act  performed  in  Egypt  so  long  ago,  carefully 
avoiding  any  reference  to  time,  and  mention- 
ing no  names,  using  only  modem  terms, 
and  an  exceedingly  simple  conversational  form 


"  Wliat  did  it  all  Amount  to^  Anyhow  ?  "  35 

of  language.  She  was,  however,  presently 
interrupted  with  a  question  :  — 

"  When  did  all  this  happen  ?  And  why  don't 
somebody  do  something  like  it  nowdays  ?  " 

Ignoring  the  first  question,  Mrs.  Roberts 
adroitly  gave  herself  to  the  second. 

"  Why  don't  you  find  your  pleasure  in  tum- 
bling around  on  the  floor,  playing  with  a  bright- 
colored  marble  or  two  as  you  did  Avhen  a  child? 
The  world  was  in  its  childhood  when  God  taught 
the  people  in  this  way.  He  has  given  them 
just  as  wonderful  lessons  since,  but  lessons 
more  suited  to  men  and  women  who  have 
learned  to  think  and  reason.  We  don't  like  to 
be  always  treated  as  children." 

Whether  they  really  dimly  understood  the 
meaning  or  not  is  possibly  doubtful,  yet  it 
appealed  to  their  sense  of  dignity  in  so  indirect 
a  way,  that  they  did  not  themselves  realize  what 
inclined  them  to  quiet  for  a  moment,  while  she 
finished  her  sentence  earnestly.  In  the  midst 
of  the  quiet  the  closing-bell  rang,  and  the  seven 
young  scamps  seemed  at  once  to  take  into  their 
hearts  seven  other  spirits  worse  than  themselves, 
and    behaved   abominably  during  the    closing 


3G  Ei<ter  Bled  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

exercises,  and  tumbled  out  of  the  door  over 
each  other,  in  the  "wildest  fashion,  the  moment 
the  signal  was  given,  halting  only  to  say,  in  the 
person  of  their  leader  :  — 

"  You  be  on  hand  next  Sunday  ;  ■we  like  your 
yarns  first  rate." 

]\Irs.  lloberts,  ■with  glowing  cheeks,  and  eyes 
behind  which  there  were  unshed  tears,  mtide  her 
way  to  the  desk  where  Mr.  Durant  was  standing, 
and  spoke  quickly : 

"There  is  a  difference  between  others  who 
have  tried  it  and  mj'self,  ]Mr.  Durant.  The 
sentence  in  Mr.  Ried's  account  that  jruve  me 
courage  was,  'Every  one  has  failed,  so  far; 
people  are  unwilling  to  take  the  class  a  second 
time.'     I  have  failed,  but  I  want  to  try  again." 


CHAPTER  III. 

"ANYTHING  UNCOMMON  ABOUT  ME?" 

MOUGH   they   rushed  out  -with   even 

more  noise  than  usual,  every  boy  of 

them  knew  that  the  noise  was  to  cover 

a    certain  sense   of  shame-faccdness, 

because    they  had  actually  been  beguiled  into 

listening  quietly  for  a  few  minutes  to  earnest 

words. 

Directly  they  had  reached  the  privacy  of  the 
street  they  became  quieter. 

"  I  say,  boys,"  said  Nimble  Dick,  "  is  that  an 
awful  green  one,  or  a  new  kind?  " 

"  New,  I  should  say,"  replied  one  of  the 
younger  boys ;  "  she  ain't  like  anything  that 's 
been  in  that  room  since  we  got  acquainted  with 
it.     I  don't  know  her  style,  myself." 

"What  do  you  take  it  she  meant  by  that  stuff 
about  being  fi'icnds,  and  telling  us  where  she 
lived,  and  all  that?" 

■' Dunno  what  she  meant;  but  she  ain't  r/ree?!, 
you  may  bet  your  head  on  that.    I  '11  tell  you 

37 


38  Ester  Itied  ''Yet  Speaking.'' 

what  I  think,  boys :  I  b'heve  she  knows  what 
she  is  about,  every  time." 

AVhat  this  sage  conclusion  amounted  to,  one 
not  acquainted  with  the  dialect  of  the  street 
might  have  been  at  a  loss  to  understand,  but  the 
rest  of  the  party  received  it  in  grave  silence  and 
nods  of  the  head,  as  though  it  were  a  thought 
that  needed  careful  investigation.  In  common 
parlance,  Jerry  Tompkins  had  expi-essed  the 
opinion  that  Mrs.  Eoberts  had  some  point  to 
gain  in  being  so  uncommonly  polite  and  attentive 
to  them,  and  they  were  curious  to  know  what 
the  motive  could  possibly  be. 

They  considered  the  important  question  in 
silence  until  they  reached  the  next  corner ;  then 
Nimble  Dick,  tossing  back  his  head  as  one  who 
had  thrown  ofi*  an  abstruse  problem,  and  would 
have  none  of  it,  said  :  — 

"  Well,  what  next?  We  've  got  through  with 
that  fun  for  to-day.  What  are  3'ou  going  to  do, 
boys?  Say  we  go  around  to  Poke's,  and  see 
what  is  going  on  there  ?  " 

To  this  proposition  there  was  eager  agreement 
from  all  the  party  save  one ;  he  maintained  a 
somewhat  moody  silence. 


^* Anything  Uncommon  about  Me  9  ^       39 

"  What  say,  Dirk  ?  "  the  leader  asked,  address- 
ing him  ;  "  are  you  ready  for  Poke's  ?  " 

"No;  I  don't  think  I'll  go  around,  just 
now." 

"  What,  then  ?  If  you  've  got  something  better 
on  hand,  why  don't  you  let  a  fellow  know? 
We're  not  dying  for  Poke's  place." 

"  I  have  n't  got  a  thing  on  hand ;  only  I  don't 
care  about  going  there." 

"Where,  then?" 

"  Nowhere." 

"  Nowhere  !  Mean  place.  Too  cold  weather 
to  stop  in  the  streets.  There  '11  be  a  good  fire 
at  Poke's.  You  come  along;  don't  go  to  getting 
the  sulks ;  it  ain't  becoming,  just  after  you  've 
been  to  Sunday-school." 

But  the  young  fellow  persisted  in  gloomily  re- 
fusing to  join  them,  and  presently  they  began  to 
tease,  in  what  they  meant  to  be  a  good-natured 
way. 

"Dirk's  struck,"  said  one.  "That  yellow- 
haired  party  has  got  him  by  the  throat ;  I  saw 
her  looking  at  him  most  uncommon  sharp,  when 
she  was  telling  that  biggest  story  of  hers,  about 
the  serpent  that  swallowed.      Dirk  he  thinks 


40  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.** 

he  's  been  swallowed  by  one  of  'em ;  he  feels  it 
choking  in  his  throat." 

"No,"  said  another,  "that  ain't  it;  Dh-k's 
a-going  to  get  pious.  That's  his  last  dodge; 
I  've  seen  the  spell  coming  on,  for  some  time. 
Did  n't  3'ou  see  him  pick  up  that  there  Bible  and 
lay  it  on  the  seat  the  other  Sunday,  after  Jerry's 
elbow  knocked  it  off  by  mistake  ?  I  've  been 
scared  about  Dirk  ever  since  ;  and  now  he  won't 
go  to  Poke's!  It's  a  bad  sign.  I  say,  Dirk, 
maybe  there's  going  to  be  a  prayer-ir^eeting 
down  your  way,  and  you  would  n't  mind  letting 
us  come  ?  " 

They  expected  him  to  laugh,  but  his  face 
grew  blacker  than  before,  and  at  last  be  said,  in 
very  significant  tones  :  — 

"You  better  hold  up  there,  Scrawly,  if  you 
don't  want  to  try  the  depth  of  that  gutter." 

"  Leave  him  be,"  said  Nimble  Dick,  quickly  ; 
"  he 's  going  into  one  of  his  tantrums.  When  he 
begins  like  that,  there's  no  end  to  the  fighting 
that 's  in  him  ;  and  I  don't  want  a  roAv  noAV, —  it 's 
too  early  in  the  day ;  besides,  I  know  something 
that 's  better  fun.  You  fellows  come  along  with 
me,  and  let  him  go." 


^^ Anything  Uncommon  about  Me  ? ""       41 

As  this  -vvas  s.ild  in  a  sort  of  undertone  as 
Dirk  strode  on  ahead ;  and  when,  at  another 
corner,  he  dashed  down  it,  leaving-  them  all,  there 
was  no  call  after  him.  He  was  free  to  go  where 
he  would,  and  for  reasons  that  he  himself  could 
not  have  explained  he  chose  that  it  should  be 
home,  —  that  is,  the  place  which  ho  called  home. 
It  might  not  meet  your  ideas  of  what  a  spot  so 
named  should  be.  The  road  to  it  led  through 
one  of  the  meanest  portions  of  the  citj.  Each 
foot  of  the  way  the  houses  seemed  to  grow  more 
squalid  looking,  and  the  streets  iilthier.  The 
particular  alley  down  which  he  dived  at  last  was 
narrower  and  blacker  than  any  yet  passed,  and 
the  cellar  door  wdiich  he  pushed  open  let  him 
into  the  meanest-looking  house  in  the  row,  —  a 
long,  low,  dark  room.  In  one  corner  there  was 
the  remnant  of  a  stove,  braced  up  by  bricks  and 
stones, but  no  fire  was  burning  therein,  though  the 
day  was  cold.  Furniture  there  was  none,  unless 
the  usual  rickety  table  and  two  broken  chairs 
could  be  called  by  that  name.  A  door  was  ajar 
that  led  into  an  inner  cellar,  and  a  glimpse  of 
piles  of  offensive  looking  rags,  that  Avcrc  called 
"  bed-clothes  "  by  the  family,  might  have  given 


42  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Sjmiking.'' 

you  an  idea  of  what  their  home  life  was,  as 
hardly  any  other  phase  of  it  can.  The  rags 
were  not  all  in  the  further  cellar,  however;  a 
gay  patch-work  quilt,  or  at  least  one  that  had 
once  been  gay,  but  from  which  bits  of  black 
cotton  now  oozed  in  every  direction,  seemed  to 
have  curled  itself  in  a  heap  against  the  one 
window.  However,  it  moved  soon  after  Dirk 
opened  the  door,  and  showed  itself  to  be  more 
than  a  quilt.  Inside  was  a  young  girl,  the  quilt 
wrapped  around  her  closely,  drawn  up  about  her 
face  and  head,  as  if  she  would  hide  all  but  her 
eyes  within,  and  try  to  get  rid  of  shivering. 

"  You  home?"  she  said,  her  tones  expressing 
surprise,  but  at  the  same  time  indifference. 
"What  is  it  for?" 

"  Because  I  wanted  to  come.  Has  n't  a 
fellow  a  right  to  come  home  if  he  wants  to?  " 

"  Of  course  ;  and  it's  such  a  lovely  home,  and 
you  are  so  fond  of  it,  no  one  need  wonder  at 
your  coming  in  the  middle  of  the  day." 

Tiie  sentence  was  sarcastic  enough,  but  the 
tones  were  hardly  so  ;  they  expressed  too  much 
indifference  even  for  sarcasm. 

Dirk  surveyed  her  thoughtfully  ;  he  seemed  to 


*^  Any  tiling  Uncommon  about  Me?  \      43 

have  no  answer  ready.  In  fact,  his  face  wore 
ahnost  a  startled  ah',  and  really  the  thought 
which  presented  itself  for  consideration  was 
startling.  Something  about  the  face  of  the  girl, 
done  up  so  grotesquely  in  her  ragged  quilt, 
suggested  the  lady  who  had  been  his  teacher  at 
the  Mission  !  Could  one  find  a  sharper  contrast 
than  existed  between  these  two?  Yet  Dirk,  as 
he  looked,  could  not  get  away  from  it. 

"What  are  you  staring  at?  "the  girl  asked, 
presently,  growing  uneasy  over  the  fixedness  of 
his  gaze.  "  Do  you  see  anything  uncomnion 
about  me  ?  " 

"Where's  mother?"  he  asked,  dropping  his 
eyes,  and  turning  from  her. 

"  In  there,  asleep.  You  need  n't  talk  quite  so 
loud ;  it  won't  hurt  her  to  get  a  bit  of  rest. 
She  sat  up  till  morning,  poking  at  your  old 
coat." 

Dirk  looked  down  at  it  thoughtfully.  There  had 
been  an  attempt  to  make  it  decent,  although  the 
setting  of  the  patches  showed  an  unpractised 
hand,  and  they  M^cre  of  a  strikingly  different 
color  from  the  coat  itself. 

"  You  might  have  done  it  for  her,  then,  in  the 


44  Ester  Bied  ''Yet  Speaking." 

daytime,"  he  said,  briefly,  and  added,  "Where's 
father?" 

The  mv\  shrusfircd  her  shoulders. 

"  How  should  I  know  ?  "Where  he  is  most  of 
the  time  ;  you  know  more  about  it  than  I  do,  or 
ought  to  ;  you  live  on  the  street." 

He  ofavo  her  an  answer  which  seemed  to  sur- 
prise  her :  — 

"  I  saj^  Mart,  what  is  the  use  in  being  so 
horrid  cross  all  the  time?" 

"You  arc  so  good-natured,"  she  said,  "and 
everything  is  so  nice  and  pleasant  around  me,  it 
is  a  wonder  that  I  should  ever  be  cross  !  " 

"  That 's  all  lost.  Mart,  for  I  never  said  I  was 
good-natured,  nor  thought  I  was  ;  and  if  I  don't 
know  just  how  hateful  things  are,  I  should  like 
to  know  Avho  does  !  But,  after  all,  Mhat  good 
does  it  do  to  snarl  ?  Why  could  n't  you  and  me 
say  a  good-natured  word  once  in  a  while,  just 
for  a  change?" 

"  Try  it,"  she  said ;  "  I  wish  you  would  !  I  'm 
so  tired  of  things  as  they  now  are,  that  most  any 
change  wouhl  be  fine.  But  I  '11  risk  your  doing 
much  in  that  line  ;  it  is  n't  in  you." 

What  was  there  in  this  cross  girl  to  remind 


^^  Any  tiling  Uncommon  about  Me?"      45 

any  one  in  his  senses  of  Mrs.  Evan  Roberts? 
Yet,  even  as  she  spoke  that  last  ungracious 
sentence,  she  turned  a  little,  so  that  a  slant 
beam  of  sunshine  —  one  of  the  few  that  ever 
found  its  WAY  into  this  dreary  room  —  laid  a 
streak  of  light  just  across  her  hair,  yclloAving  it 
until  it  was  almost  the  shade  that  he  had  noted 
in  the  lady  at  the  Mission ;  and  he  thought  of 
her  again,  and  wondered  curiously  Avhether,  if 
Mart  were  dressed  in  the  shining  black  dress,  and 
fur  wraps  and  feather-decked  bonnet  that  the 
lady  had  worn,  she  would  really  resemble  her. 
How  would  Mart  look  dressed  up,  he  wondered ; 
even  decently  dressed,  as  the  girls  were  wdiom 
he  met  on  the  streets.  He  had  never  seen  her 
in  anything  much  more  becoming  than  the  ragged 
quilt.  He  was  studying  her  in  a  way  that  Mart 
did  not  in  the  least  understand.  She  broke  the 
spell  suddenly  again  :  — 

"Have  you  had  any  dinner?" 

''Dinner?  Why,  no  !  of  course  not!  Where 
would  I  find  that  sort  of  thing?  I  looked  all  up 
and  down  the  streets,  and  smelled  plenty  of  it, 
but  not  a  bite  did  I  get." 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  " 


46  iJsler  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

"Oh,  around  in  several  places  ;  not  much  of 
anywhere." 

"I  know  where  you've  been," — a  severe  light 
coming  into  her  eyes ;  "  you  've  been  clown  to  the 
South  End,  and  if  I  was  you  I'd  be  ashamed 
of  myself!  I  know  how  you  fellows  go  on 
down  there.  Sallie  Calkins  goes,  and  she  told 
me  all  about  it.  She  said  that  she  was  ashamed 
to  live  on  the  same  street  with  any  of  you,  and 
that  none  of  the  folks  in  the  Mission  knew  what 
to  do  with  you,  and  the  next  thing  you  knew 
you  would  all  be  marched  off  to  the  lockup." 

"Let  them  try  it,"  muttered  Dick,  his  face 
growing  darker ;  "  we  'd  make  that  street  too  hot 
to  hold  them  in  short  order  if  they  played  at  any 
such  game  as  that,  and  I  guess  they  know  it." 

"  Well,  anyhow,  I  would  n't  be  meaner  and 
lower  down  than  I  had  to  be,  Dirk  Colson  !  It 
is  bad  enough  as  it  is, — a  drunkard  for  a  father, 
and  we  nothina:  more  than  beggars !  But  I  'd 
behave  myself  half-way  decent  when  I  went 
among  folks  that  wanted  to  be  good  to  me,  or 
else  I  'd  stay  away." 

"  Look  here,  you  keep  your  preaching  for 
them  that  wants  to  hear  it ;  I  don't.      A  fellow 


*^ Anything  Uncommon  aoout  Me?''       47 

can't  come  homo  without  having  a  row;  if  it 
isn't  of  one  kind,  it's  another.  I  wonder  I 
ever  come  home  at  all." 

Dirk  was  angry  now,  and  his  dark,  thin  face 
looked  fierce  with  passion.  His  sister  kept  the 
curiously  composed  tone  and  manner  with  which 
she  had  said  all  her  exasperating  things. 

"I  wonder  you  do,"  she  said.  "I  suppose 
you  get  starved,  and  can't  help  it,  now  and  then. 
There's  some  dinner  I  saved  for  j^ou.  If  you 
want  it,  eat  it,  and  then  take  yourself  to  some 
place  that  suits  you  better." 

As  she  spoke,  she  jerked  open  the  door  of  a 
little  cupboard  near  which  she  stood,  and  brought 
therefrom  a  much-cracked  plate,  on  which  la}^  a 
baked  potato,  with  one  end  broken  or  bitten  off, 
then  carefully  replaced,  as  if  the  owner  might 
have  had  a  second  thought  as  to  its  disposal ; 
there  was  also  a  bit  of  corn-bread,  somewhat 
burned,  and  half  of  a  roasted  apple. 

Meagre  as  the  fare  was  for  a  hungry  boy,  there 
was  more  variety  than  ho  had  expected,  and 
something  in  the  simple  preparation  touched 
him,  and  quieted  his  anger. 

"  Where  did  this  come  from  ?  "  he  asked, 


48  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speah'ng." 

taking  in  the  unaccustomed  morsel  of  apple  with 
two  enirer  bites.     "  I  toll  you,  that  is  jrood  !  " 

"  Sally  Calkins  gave  it  to  me  last  night.  She 
got  one  give  to  her  somewhere." 

Just  as  the  last  bite  was  gone,  it  occurred  to 
Dirk,  first  to  wonder,  and  then  to  be  almost  cer- 
tain, that  his  sister,  having  shared  the  apple,  had 
saved  her  entire  share  for  him.  It  was  not  the 
first  time  he  had  known  of  such  an  eft'ort  on  her 
part  to  supply  him  with  food.  Had  he  thought 
of  it  sooner  he  would  certainly  have  left  a  bit  of 
the  dainty  for  her ;  but  no  thought  of  telling  her 
so,  for  an  instant  crossed  his  mind.  Neither  had 
she,  on  her  part,  the  slightest  idea  of  describing 
to  him  with  what  care  and  patience  she  and 
Sallie  had  roasted  the  choice  morsel  before 
Sallie's  fire,  only  last  night, —  Sallie's  father  being 
fortunately  late  in  coming,  and  so  giving  them,  a 
chance ;  then  she  had  borne  hers  home  in  a  bit 
of  paper,  and  carefully  guarded  it  all  day,  just 
for  this  hour.  Also,  she  might  have  told  him 
that  she  bit  the  end  from  the  potato  before  she 
remembered  that  there  would  be  none  left  for 
him,  and  then  fitted  it  on  again  as  best  she 
could,  and  went  without.     She  would  not  have 


** Anything  Uncommon  ahonf  3fe  ?"'       49 

told  him  for  worlds.  Why?  She  could  not 
have  explained  why.  Something  within  her 
shrank  from  letting  him  know,  not  that  she  sac- 
rificed for  him,  but  that  she  called  enough  for 
him  to  want  to  do  it ! 

Potato  and  corn- bread  were  gone,  to  the  last 
crumb ;  it  seemed  to  Dirk  that  there  had  been 
only  enough  of  them  to  show  him  how  hungry  he 
was. 

"I  suppose  there  isn't  anything  more?"  he 
said,  wistfully,  with  the  rising  inflection,  indeed, 
but  not  as  one  avIio  had  any  idea  of  receiving  an 
affirmative  answer. 

"  I  should  think  there  was  n't !  "  —  defiance  in 
the  tone  — "  there 's  a  piece  of  bread  that  I  kept 
for  mother's  supper,  and  I  mean  she  shall  have  it." 

"  Well,  don't  bite  me  !  I  'm  perfectly  willing 
that  she  shall.    Isn't  there  anything  for  a  fire?" 

"  Only  some  chips  that  I  'm  saving  till  mother 
has  her  nap  out." 

"  You  better  go  to  bed  yourself,  then ;  it 's 
awful  cold  here." 

"  I  ain't  ijoing  to  stir  from  this  corner  so  lonjj 
as  this  streak  of  light  lasts.  It  isn't  so  very 
often  I  see  it  that  I  can  afibrd  to  lose  it." 


50  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SjpeaJcinff.'* 

Her  brother  turned  and  looked  at  her.  She 
liad  gathered  the  folds  of  the  ragged  quilt  about 
her  again,  and  was  crouching  at  the  low  window, 
and  the  very  last  crleam  that  the  sunshine  would 
vouchsafe  them  came  and  glimmered  in  her  hair. 

There  it  was  again,  —  that  mysterious,  haunt- 
ing resemblance  !  What  would  Mart  think  if  he 
told  her  of  it  ?  Probably  that  he  was  trying  to 
poke  fun  qt  her.  At  least,  he  should  not 
experiment.  Yet  he  could  not  help  wondering 
again,  how  Mart  would  look  if  she  were  dressed 
like  other  people. 

"  I  say.  Mart,"  he  began,  suddenly,  breaking 
the  stillness,  "let's  you  and  I  get  out  of  this, 
where  it  is  warmer.     Come  and  take   a  walk- 
down  on  the  avenue  ;  the  sun  will  shine  yet  for 
half  an  hour,  and  it  is  real  warm  and  bright." 

"  In  this  quilt?  "  she  asked,  significantly,  look- 
ing down  at  it. 

The  boy's  face  darkened. 

"  Has  n't  your  shawl  got  out  of  pawm  yet  ?  *' 

"How  should  it?" 

He  flung  himself  angrily  out  of  the  broken 
chair,  picked  up  his  ragged  cap,  and  strode 
angrily  and  noisily  across  the  room,  out  at  the 


^Anything  Uncommon  about  Me  ?"       51 

door,  stumbling  up  the  steps,  like  one  half- 
blind  v/ith  diso-ust  or  raije,  and  went  on  swift 
feet  down  the  street  out  of  sight.  And  Mart, 
poor  Mart,  left  thus  to  solitude,  let  the  last  beam 
of  the  sun  go  without  watehing,  and  buried  her 
face  in  the  ragged  quilt  and  cried. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

«I  DON'T  BLAME  THEM." 

T  was  not  a  "pet"  name.  Poor  Mart 
Colson  would  not  have  known  what 
to  do  with  a  pet  name.  Her  life  had 
not  taught  her  how  to  use  such  phrases ; 
hoAv  she  came  to  be  named  Martha,  she  did  not 
know ;  but  a  hollow-eyed,  sad-voiced  woman 
could  have  told  her  of  a  country  home,  long 
ago,  where  there  were  dafibdils  blowing  in  the 
early  spring,  almost  under  the  snow ;  where, 
later,  the  earth  was  turned  into  sky,  or  the  stars 
came  down  and  gleamed  all  over  her  father's 
fields,  so  plentiful  were  the  dandelions ;  and  the 
breath  of  the  clover  came  in  at  all  the  open 
windows,  and  the  cows  —  her  father's  cows  — 
coming  home  from  pasture,  and  the. tinkle  of 
their  bells  were  sights  and  sounds  familiar  to 
her  car.  She  sat  there  one  summer  evening,  in 
the  back-door,  watching  the  glory  and  the  peace, 
and  studying,  between  times,  her  Sabbath  les- 
52 


''I  DorCt  Blame  Them:'  53 

son.  Often  and  often  the  words  came  back  to 
her  in  future  years.  "Now  Jesus  loved  Martha 
and  her  sister  and  Lazarus."  That  was  one  of 
the  verses.  AVas  it  a  dim  memory  of  the  words, 
and  a  sort  of  l)lind  reachinsr  out  after  their  ful- 
fihiient,  that  led  '  her  to  name  her  poor  little 
two-days-old  baby,  Martha  ?  The  old  home  had 
vanished,  the  sweet-scented  meadows,  the  tink- 
ling bells,  the  peace  and  the  plenty,  were  as 
utterly  things  of  the  past  as  though  they  had 
not  been.  Mother,  and  father,  and  one  brother, 
were  gone,  lying  in  grass-grown,  neglected 
graves  ;  and  she, —  why  the  two-days-old  baby's 
father  was  drunk  ;  and  had  been  for  three 
weeks!  A  hard,  hateful-sounding  word, — 
coarse,  almost.  Why  don't  I  say  intoxicated? 
Oh,  because  I  can't!  I've  no  desire  to  find 
smooth-sounding  words  with  which  to  cover  the 
sin  of  that  baby's  father.  But  the  mother 
named  her  Martha.  She  never  told  her  why, 
if,  indeed,  she  herself  fully  knew  ;  it  was  not  a 
family  name.  Gradually,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
times,  she  sought  to  shorten  the  name ;  and  be- 
cause they  had  not  sweet,  short  words,  as  "Pet," 
and  "  Dear  "  and  "  Sweet,"  —  all  such  belong  to 


54  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaJciJiff" 

happy  homes,  —  they  grew  to  calling  her  Mart. 
And  now  oven  she  herself  hardly  realized  that 
she  had  ever  owned  to  any  other  call.  Poor 
Mart !  I  find  nnself  wanting  to  use  the  adjec- 
tive over  and  over  again  when  I  speak  of  her. 
Such  a  desolate,  loveless  Ufa!  Always  a  drunken 
father, — she  had  never  known  any  other ;  always 
a  sharp-toned,  weary-eyed,  disheartened  mother, 
who  shut  her  tenderness  for  the  child  within 
herself,  as  one  who  could  not  afford  to  shoAv  it. 
Then  Dirk,  the  one  brother,  afoing  astrav  almost 
as  soon  as  he  was  born.  AVhat  wonder,  from 
such  a  home  ?  Yet  Mart  wondered  and  felt  bit- 
ter over  it.  Why  could  not  Dirk  be  like  some 
others  of  whom  she  knew?  Like  Sallie  Calkin's 
brother,  for  instance,  who  worked  day  and 
night,  and  brought  home,  often  and  often,  an 
apple,  or  a  herring,  or  sometimes  even  a  pic- 
ture paper  for  Sallie !  Mart  was  sharp- 
tongued ;  all  her  life  had  tausfht  her  to  be  so. 
She  spoke  sharp  words  out  of  the  bitterness  of 
her  heart  at  Dirk,  and  of  late  rarely  anything 
but  sharp  words,  yet  —  and  this  was  Mart's 
secret,  hidden  away  as  if  it  were  something  of 
■which  to  be  ashamed  —  she  loved  Dirk,  loved 


'' I  Don't  Blame  Them."  55 

him  fiercely,  Avith  all  the  pent-up  wealth  of  her 
young  heart;  and  often,  because  she  loved  him, 
she  was  harsh  and  bitter  towards  him,  though 
she  did  not  herself  understand  why  this  should 
be. 

As  for  Dirk,  he  walked  rapidly  but  for  a  few 
blocks ;  his  dinner  had  been  too  insufficient  to 
give  him  strength,  after  the  first  aimless  anger 
had  subsided.  Then  came  the  question  what  to 
do  with  himself.  Wh}^  had  n't  he  gone  with  the 
fellows?  More  than  likely  some  of  them  had 
contrived  a  way  to  get  a  dinner.  AVliy  had  he 
persisted  in  sullenly  leaving  them  all  and  going 
home  ? 

He  had  not  the  least  idea  why  he  had  been 
impelled  to  go  home.  Now  that  he  was  fairly 
away  from  home  again,  he  had  no  idea  what  to 
do  with  himself.  A  place  where  he  could  warm 
his  feet  and  his  hands,  where  he  could  get  a  bite 
to  eat,  possibly, — this  last  would  be  an  im- 
mense attraction,  but  Avas  not  a  necessity,  and  he 
did  not  expect  it,  — but  warmth,  at  least,  he  felt 
that  he  must  have.  AVhere  would  he  find  it? 
What  place  had  been  provided  for  such  as  he  ? 
He  ought  by  this  time  to  have  been  earning  his 


56  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaJcing.'" 

own  living,  to  have  had  a  corner  Avhich  he  could 
call  liomc,  earned  by  himself,  where  some  of 
the  decencies  of  life  were  gathered.  Of  course 
he  ought ;  but  the  painful  fact  to  meet  just  now, 
was  that  he  had  not  done  his  duty.  He  had 
gone  astray ;  not  so  far  but  that  there  were 
plenty  of  chances  to  go  farther,  greater  deeps 
to  which  he  might  yet  reach,  but  far  enough  to 
all  but  break  any  watchful  mother's  heart ;  only 
that  Jiis  mother's  heart  was  broken  before  he 
was  born.  The  simple  question  waiting  to  be 
solved  was  this  :  Having  done  as  poorly  for  him- 
self as  under  the  circumstances  he  W'ClI  could, 
what  was  Dirk  Colson  to  do  next  ?  He  had  no 
idea ;  neither,  apparently,  had  multitudes  of 
Christian  people  engaged  in  praying  that  the 
Father's  will  might  be  done  on  earth,  even  as  it 
Avas  in  heaven.  The  young  man  walked  six 
blocks  down  the  respectable  avenue,  lined  with 
pleasant  homes,  where  the  people  went  to 
church,  and  read  their  Bibles,  and  had  family 
prayers,  and  kept  holy  the  Sabbath  day.  Kot 
a  door  among  them  all  opened  and  held  out  a 
winnim?  siijnal  to  arrest  his  heedless  feet.  Not 
so  Satan  !     Is  he  ever  caught  idling  at  his  post? 


"/  Dont  Blame  Them:'  57 

Just  around  the  corner  from  the  respectable 
avenue  (and  around  the  corner  Dirk  presently 
turned,  still  uncertain  what  to  do,  where  to  find 
the  warmth  he  craved)  then  the  winning  invi- 
tations for  such  as  he  began  to  present  them- 
selves. Saloons,  and  saloons,  and  saloons ! 
How  many  of  them  were  there  ?  Far  outnum- 
bering the  churches !  Pleasant  they  looked, 
too;  opening  doors,  ever  and  anon,  revealing 
brightness  and  warmth  within.  They  would 
like  to  see  him  inside.  Of  this  Dirk  was  sure ; 
not  that  he  had  money,  but  he  had  something 
that  in  such  places  often  served  him  well, —  a 
decided  and  dangerous  talent  for  imitating  any 
and  every  peculiarity  of  voice  or  manner  that 
had  chanced  to  come  under  his  notice.  He 
could  make  the  fellows  in  these  saloons  roar 
with  laughter.  If  he  did  particularly  well,  they 
were  willing  to  order  for  him  a  glass  of  beer,  or 
a  fairly  good  cigar ;  in  any  case  he  had  a  chance 
to  get  warm.  This  was  actually  Dirk's  only 
present  source  of  income  !  Yet  he  shrank  from 
it ;  he  could  not  have  told  you  why,  but  on  this 
particular  Sabbath  he  was  averse  to  earning  his 
coveted  warmth  in  this  way.     He  walked  reso- 


58  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

lutely  by  two  or  three  places  where  he  had 
reason  to  tliiuk  he  might  be  welcomed,  wonder- 
inir  vaa-uely  whether  there  wasn't  somethina: 
else  a  fellow  could  do  to  keep  himself  from 
freezing.  Oddly  enough  there  seemed  to  be 
somethina:  about  the  ijlimmer  of  sunshine  as  he 
saw  it  in  Mart's  hair  that  kept  him  from  halting 
before  any  of  the  places  open  to  him.  What  if 
she  had  come  out  with  him  to  take  a  walk ;  he 
could  not  have  taken  her  into  one  of  them ! 
Then,  poor  fellow,  he  set  himself  to  wondering 
where  the  place  was,  open  and  warmed,  to  which 
he  could  take  Mart.  There  were  places,  several 
of  them,  in  the  large  city;  but  Dirk  knew  noth- 
ing about  them,  and  he  was  acquainted  with 
the  saloons.  He  thoug-ht  of  another  thins: ;  he 
had  been  invited  to  call  at  a  house  on  East 
Fifty-fifth  Street.  Suppose  he  should  walk 
up  there  this  very  afternoon  and  ring  the 
bell,  and  say  that  he  had  come  to  call !  What 
would  happen  then?  Whereupon  he  laughed 
aloud.  The  fancy  seemed  to  him  so  utterly 
preposterous.  The  idea  of  Ids  making  a  call  I 
The  utter  improbability  of  his  ever  seeing  the 
inside  of  one  of  the  East  Fifty-fifth  Street 
mansions ! 


"/  Don't  Blame  Them."  59 

Still  remained  that  hopeless  question  :  "What 
should  he  do  with  himself?  The  sun  "was  quite 
gone  now,  and  a  cold  wind  w\is  blowing  up 
freshly  from  the  north.  It  blew  directly  through 
Dirk's  threadl)are  garments.  He  turned  sud- 
denly and  slipped  inside  one  of  the  worst  of  the 
many  saloons  which  literally  lined  this  end  of 
the  street.  He  had  refused  to  go  with  the  boys 
to  Poke's,  an  hour  or  two  before,  and  this  Avas 
several  grades  below  Poke's  in  decency  !  But 
it  was  growing  dark,  and  he  was  cold. 

There  was  one  young  man  who  saw  him  dash 
down  those  cellar  stairs,  who  stood  still  and 
looked  at  him,  his  face  darkening  the  while  with 
discouragement.  This,  then,  w-as  all  the  after- 
noon's Sabbath-school  had  accomplished  for 
him.  To  be  sure  he  was  not  disappointed  at 
the  result ;  it  Avas  no  more  than  he  had  expected  ; 
but  it  was  so  discouraging  to  be  an  eye-witness 
to  the  des^radation  to  which  these  young  wretches 
had  fallen !  Of  course  the  young  man  w^as 
Alfred  Ried,  and  he  went  home,  and  was  dreary, 
over  all  sorts  of  failures  in  Christian  work,  mis- 
sion Sabbath-schools  especially  ;  and  their  own, 
more  especially  than  any  other. 


60  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking," 

Among  the  early  shoppers  on  Monday  morn- 
ing came  Mrs.  Evan  Roberts.  Shopping,  ho\v^ 
ever,  seemed  to  be  a  small  part  of  her  business. 
She  came  directly  to  young  Ried's  counter, 
and  addressed  him  very  much  as  though 
she  had  ceased  talking  -with  him  but  a  moment 
before ;  — 

"  Mr.  Ried,  what  can  you  and  I  do  for  those 
boys  during  the  week?" 

But  Alfred  was  at  his  gloomiest. 

"  I  don't  see  that  we  can  do  anything  for  them 
at  any  time,"  he  said,  dismally.  "  What  is  an 
hour  on  Sunday,  set  against  all  the  rest  of  the 
time?  They  go  from  the  school-room  to  the 
rum  saloons,  and  dawdle  away  the  rest  of  the 
day.  Yesterday  I  met  that  young  Colson  going 
into  one  of  the  worst  saloons  on  Dey  Street. 
They  are  not  to  blame,  either."  This  last  in  a 
fiercer  tone,  after  a  slight  pause.  "  I  don't 
blame  them  ;  they  have  nowhere  else  to  go,  and 
nothing  to  do  ;  and  it  is  cold  on  the  streets,  and 
warm  in  the  saloons." 

If  he  expected  the  small  lady,  who  was  re- 
garding him  so  steadily,  to  take  the  other  side 
of   this   question,  he   was   disappointed.     She 


"7  DonH  Blame  Tliem."  61 

spoke  quietly  enough,  but  with  the  earnestness 
of  conviction. 

"  Those  are  startling  facts.  I  do  not  see  how 
any  one  could  be  surprised  that  the  results  are 
as  they  are ;  and  the  practical  question  forces 
itself  upon  us,  What  are  we  to  do  under  the 
circumstances?  Mr.  Ried,  you  have  had  your 
eyes  open  in  regard  to  this  subject  for  some 
time  ;  what  have  you  thought  out  ?  " 

Now  was  Mr.  Alfred  Ried  embarrassed.  It 
was  true  that  his  ej'es  had  been  long  open  to  the 
subject ;  it  was  true  that  he  had  given  it  a  great 
deal  of  Avhat  he  had  called  thought.  But  with 
those  alert  eyes  fixed  on  his  face,  her  whole 
manner  indicating  intense  earnestness,  he  sud- 
denly realized  that  all  his  thought  had  been  to 
no  purpose,  had  accomplished  nothing,  unless 
it  had  served  to  give  him  a  feeling  almost  of 
irritation  against  the  boys,  and  their  teachers 
who  made  failures,  and  the  people  who  folded 
their  hands  and  let  things  go  to  ruin.  Here 
confronted  him  one,  whose  hands  were  not 
folded,  though  they  rested  quietly  enough  on 
the  counter  before  him.  He  began  to  feel  that 
there  might  be  latent  power  in  them. 


62  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speakmg.** 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say,"  and  he  said  it  at  last 
■with  ihishod  face  and  embarrassed  voice  ;  "  I 
liave  thought  out  nothing.  The  Avholc  thing 
seemed  hopeless  to  me  -with  my  utter  hick  of 
resources.  My  sister  had  schemes,  many  of 
them,  and  they  ^seemed  to  me  good  ones,  even 
then  ;  they  seem  better  now,  only  I  cannot  carry 
them  out." 

She  caught  at  the  name. 

"Your  sister?  Ester  Ried?  Good!.  Let 
us  carry  them  out,  30U  and  I,  and  as  many 
more  as  we  can  get  to  help  us.  She  is  at  work 
yet,  —  don't  you  see?  AVhat  is  that  prophecy 
about  her?  —  that  voice  which  the  prophet 
heard,  you  knoAv,  *  And  I  heard  a  voice  sa^'ing 
unto  me.  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die 
in  the  Lord  from  henceforth :  Yea,  saith  the 
Spirii:,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors ; 
and  their  works  do  follow  them.' " 

How  strangely  the  words  sounded,  repeated 
in  her  low,  clear  voice,  amid  the  hum  of  busi- 
ness on  every  side  !  Alfred  Hied  felt  singularly 
moved.  He  had  been  a  highly  strung,  imagin- 
ative child.  He  had  been  his  sister  Ester's 
almost  constant   companion    during   those  last 


"/  Don't  Blame  Them:'  63 

months  in  which  she  was  slowly  fading  out  of 
sight.  While  Julia  held  steadily  to  her  mother's 
side,  and  learned  to  do  many  helpful  things,  he 
had  been  stationed  chief  nurse  in  Ester's  room, 
to  see  that  she  lacked  for  no  tender  care  durins: 
the  hours  when  others  must  be  away  from  her. 
And  those  hours  she  had  tenderly  improved. 
He  remembered  to  this  day  just  how  she 
looked,  with  a  pink  flush  all  over  her  cheeks, 
and  a  bright  light  in  her  eyes,  as  she  talked  to 
him  of  the  thinjrs  that  she  and  Dr.  Dou2:lass  had 
meant  to  do  for  boys,  —  neglected,  homeless, 
friendless  boys.  Oh,  the  plans  they  had  care- 
fully thought  out,  to  reach  after  these  forsaken 
ones  !  He  remembered  that  his  own  cheeks  had 
grown  hot  while  he  listened,  and  the  blood  had 
seemed  to  race  like  fire  throu2:h  his  veins  when 
she  said,  ''God  wants  me  for  something  else, 
Alfred  ;  but  you  will  do  my  work  when  you  get 
to  be  a  man ;  you  will  find  helpers,  and  carry  it 
on  as  I  wanted  to  do."  He  had  made  no  audi- 
ble answer,  but  he  had  told  himself  sturdily 
again  and  again  that  he  certainly  would.  Yet 
here  he  was,  barely  of  age,  and  almost  soured 
by   disappointments.      Certain   well-meant  at- 


64  Ester  liied  '*  Yet  Speaking.'' 

tempts  having  proved  failures,  and  having  not 
found  the  helpers  whom  he  had  eagerly  expected, 
the  magnitude  of  the  work  impressed  itself 
upon  him  more  remorselessly  each  hour.  Yet 
now  he  seemed  to  feel  again  the  thrill  in  his 
veins,  and  he  felt  almost  under  the  power  of  his 
sister's  eye  while  those  words  were  in  his  ears  : 
"They  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works 
do  follow  them."  Might  it  possibly  be  that  this 
was  one  of  the  "  helpers  "  of  whom  Ester  used 
to  talk,  sent  by  God  himself  to  take  up  her 
planned  work  and  follow  it  out?  Yet  she  was 
so  utterly  unlike  his  memory  of  Ester !  She 
had  seemed  to  him  a  self-reliant,  strong-toned 
woman  ;  Mrs.  Roberts  w^as  so  small  and  frail- 
looking,  and  so  fashionably  dressed,  and  how 
those  V)oys  had  acted  with  her  only  yesterday ! 
What  could  she  possibly  do  ? 

Customers  came  just  then,  to  change  the  cur- 
rent of  his  thoughts.  They  wanted  round  col- 
lars, and  deep  collars,  and  fichus,  and  edges, 
and  a  hundred  little  irriratins:  thinijs.  Youn<; 
Hied,  usually  so  gracious  and  patient,  had  much 
ado  to  keep  from  showing  his  annoyance  over 
the  smallness  of  all  their  wishes. 


''I  Don't  Blame  Tliemr  65 

Meantime  Mrs.  Roberts,  vA\o  had  taken  a 
scat,  entered  apparently  with  absorption  into  the 
relative  merits  of  round  or  pointed  collars  with 
a  young  lady  acquaintance.  She  patiently  meas- 
ured to  discover  M'hether  the  turned-down  cor- 
ner of  one  was  a  quarter  of  an  inch  deeper  than 
the  other  or  not ;  she  gave,  with  due  delibera- 
tion, her  opinion  as  to  whether  the  points  were 
more  becoming  to  the  young  lady's  style  of 
beauty  than  the  rolling  fronts,  and  even  went  to 
the  trouble  of  unfastening  her  furs  to  show  still 
another  style  that  she  liked  better  than  cither ; 
sending  the  disgusted  Alfred  to  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent box  in  search  of  a  like  pattern.  As  he 
went,  his  lip  curled  visibly.  What  a  fool  he  had 
been  to  allow  himself  to  get  momentarily  ex- 
cited over  this  doll !  How  preposterous  in  him 
to  mention  his  dead  sister's  name  to  her !  She 
had  already  forgotten  the  entire  matter,  and  was 
deep  in  the  merits  of  collars  !  His  first  esti- 
mate of  her  had  been  the  correct  one.  Her 
nJnd  was  just  about  as  deep,  he  believed,  as 
the  tiny  collar  she  was  measuring.  What  a 
farce  it  was  to  talk  to  her  about  helping 
those  poor  fellows !     She  probably  thought  a 


66  Ester  Bled  "  Yet  Speaking." 

few  soup  tickets,  and  a  chance  for  a  good 
Christmas  dinner  at  some  of  the  public  charity 
halls,  was  the  way  to  reach  and  reform  them. 
lie  should  n't  help  her ;  she  must  n't  expect  it. 
Doubtless  she  did  not.  Probably  she  had  by 
this  time  for<?otten  that  she  had  su<rffested  it. 
Why  need  she  putter  here  about  a  few  collars 
for  a  young  lady  in  her  own  circle  to  wear  with 
her  morning  dresses?  That  was  just  it,  he  told 
himself.  It  was  because  she  icas  in  her  circle, 
and  because  the  collars  were  to  be  honored  by 
being  worn  by  such  as  she,  that  they  became 
important,  and  the  boys  and  their  desperate 
needs  sunk  into  insignificancie.  Well,  he  wished 
they  would  both  go,  and  leave  him  to  himself; 
give  him  a  chance  to  rally  from  his  momentary 
excitement,  of  which  he  was  now  ashamed. 

At  last  the  collars  were  bought,  —  but  not 
until  the  counter  was  strewn  with  different  sorts  ; 
and  the  lady,  with  many  bright  little  nothings 
for  last  words,  moved  off  to  another  part  of  the 
store,  and  Mrs.  Roberts  whirled  on  her  seat 
until  her  eyes  were  in  full  vie^y  again,  and  said  : 

"  What  were  some  of  her  plans,  Mr.  Hied?  " 


CHAPTER  V. 

"A  CHRISTIAN  HOME." 

DON'T  suppose  you  can  go  into  detail 
just  now,"  she  added,  noting  young 
Ried's  hesitation  and  embarrassment ; 
"but  I  was  wondering  if  you  could 
give  me  some  general  idea  of  Avhat  she  wanted 
to  do,  or  thought  could  be  done." 

"  There  were  a  great  many  things  that  sho 
wanted  to  do,  and  I  believe  she  thought  they 
could  be  done  ;  but  I  don't  think  she  knew  the 
world  very  well,"  said  this  aged  cynic.  "^  She 
judged  everybody  from  the  standpoint  of  her 
own  unselfishness.  I  remember  she  Avas  not  in 
sympathy  with  soup-houses,  and  dinner-tickets, 
and  great  public  charities  of  that  sort.  Or,  I 
don't  know  that  I  should  say  she  was  not  in 
sympathy  with  them.  I  mean,  rather,  that 
those  would  not  have  been  her  ways  of  working, 

67 


68  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaMiigr 

She  was  thinking  of  young  people,  and  to  give 
them  a  dinner  now  and  then,  she  wouhl  not  have 
considered  a  very  great  step  toward  elevating 
them  morally  and  spiritually.  Mrs.  Roberts,  it 
■was  just  that  which  she  wanted  to  do,  —  lift 
them  up.  She  thought  there  could  be  invented 
wa3's  of  reaching  them,  so  that  they  would  want 
helping,  want  teaching,  —  crave  it,  I  mean  ;  and 
she  thought  that  Christian  homes  of  wealth  and 
culture  could  be  opened  to  them,  and  the}'  grad- 
ually toled  in,  —  made  to  feel  on  a  level  with 
others,  in  the  social  scale  ;  in  short,  she  believed 
that  instead  of  people  going  down  to  them  in  a 
condescending  spirit,  they  could  be  drawn  up  to 
the  level  of  others,  so  that  they  would  realize 
their  manhood,  and  be  led  to  make  earnest 
efforts  to  take  their  rightful  places  in  the  world. 
I  know  I  am  bunsjlinsr  dreadful  I  v  ;  I  don't  know 
how  to  tell  you  her  plans,  only  that  they  were 
splendid.  But  I  am  afraid  the  world  will  have 
to  be  made  over,  before  they  can  be  carried 
out." 

"  Perhaps  so.  Christ  is  at  work  making  the 
world  over,  you  know."  The  lady  before  him, 
whose  eyes  never  for  an  instant  moved  from 


''A  Christian  Home:'  69 

liis  face,  spoke  "with  exceeding  sweetness  and 
gravity.  Neither  by  "vvord  nor  glance  did  siic 
cive  him  to  understand  that  she  thoui>ht  his 
schemes  Avild.  ''  But  I  find  that,  after  all,  I 
"want  details.  I  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  grand- 
ness  of  your  sister's  meaning.  What  were  some 
of  the  steps, —  the  little  steps,  such  as  you  and 
I  could  take,  toward  accomplishing?  Yet,  even 
while  I  ask  the  question,  I  sec  something  of 
what  the  answer  must  be.  '  Christian  homes 
opening  to  receive  them  ! '  That  is  a  new  thought 
to  me,  and  in  the  plural  number  I  do  not  see 
ho'Y  just  now,  it  could  be  done  ,  but  one  Chris- 
tian .home,  —  I  ought  to  be  able  to  manage  that. 
Mr.  Ried,  that  is  the  way  to  begin  it,  you  may 
depend.  Indeed,  I  suppose  you  have  tried  it? 
The  city  is  full  of  boys,  and  many  of  them  are 
away  down.  Since  we  cannot  reach  all  of  them 
this  week,  we  must  try  to  reach  seven ;  and 
failing  in  that,  suppose  we  say  one?  For  which 
one  have  you  been  working?  Just  who,  at 
this  moment,  specially  interests  you?  I  hope  it 
is  one  of  my  boys,  because,  you  see,  they  ap- 
peal to  me,  just  now,  as  no  others  can.  AVhich 
is  it,  Mr.  Ried  ?  and  what  have  you  tried  to  do 


70  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Sjyeaking." 

for  liiin?  and  to  what  extent  have  you  suc- 
ceeded ?  " 

There  were  never  any  hotter  cheeks  than 
young  Ried's  just  at  that  moment.  This  was 
the  most  extraordinary  person  Avith  whom  he 
had  ever  talked.  It  was  impossible  to  gener- 
alize with  her.  Not  that  he  wanted  to  general- 
ize ;  on  the  contrary,  he  at  once  saw"  the 
possibilities  growing  out  of  individual  effort, 
and  caught  at  the  idea  of  undertaking  some- 
thing. But  the  question  was,  Why  had  he  not 
thought  of  it  before  ?  One  person  to  reach  after, 
and  try  for  !  —  surely,  he  might  have  attempted 
it,  instead  of  trying  to  carry  the  hundreds  that 
he  stumbled  against,  and  so  accomplish  nothing 
for  any  of  them.  It  was  humiliating,  the  con- 
fession that  he  had  to  make  ;  — 

"  Indeed,  Mrs.  Koberts,  I  have  not  one  in 
mind.  If  you  asked  me  what  one  hundred  I  was 
most  anxious  about,  I  might  possibly  be  able  to 
answer ;  but  I  see  that  there  has  been  no  indi- 
viduality about  it,  unless,  perhaps,  the  half-dozen 
or  n;ore  boys  who  compose  that  class  are  taking 
a  little  strouijer  hold  on  mo  than  anv  of  the 
others ;  but  even  for  them  I  have  tried  to  do 


''A  Christian  Home."  71 

nothing,  unless  two  or  three  attempts  to  secure 
a  permanent  teacher  for  them  —  which  have 
ended  in  failure  —  may  count  for  effort.  I  don't 
blame  myself  as  much  as  I  might,  because,  now 
that  you  suggest  personal  work  to  me,  I  realize 
that  there  is  nothing  for  one  situated  as  I  am  to 
do.    I  have  no  Christian  home  at  my  command." 

"  Ah,  but  we  are  to  come  down  to  very  small 
numbers,  you  know,  —  to  fractions,  if  need  be. 
You  have  a  piece  of  Christian  home  at  command, 
I  trust?" 

But  he  looked  at  her  inquiringly,  and  she  ex- 
plained :  — 

"Why,  you  have  the  privacy  of  your  own 
room,  which  is,  of  course,  your  corner  of  home 
just  now,  and  it  is  a  Christian  corner.  Is  there 
not  room  in  it  sometimes  for  two  ?  " 

He  smiled  faintly  over  that. 

"Mrs.  Roberts,  there  is  one  thing  with  which 
you  evidently  are  not  familiar,  and  that  is  the 
corner  which  a  poor  clerk  in  the  city  has  to  call 
home.  Mine  is  the  fourth  story  back  of  a 
fourth-rate  boarding-house,  where  the  thermom- 
eter drops  often  below  the  freezing-point,  and 
this  place  I  share  with  as  uncongenial  a  fellow 


72  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Spealdng^ 

ns  ever  breathed.  "What  "would  you  think  of 
labellins:  such  accoraraodations  'homo?'  and 
•what  can  I  do  in  it  for  others  ?  " 

"Not  much,  perhaps,"  smiling,  "unless  for 
the  uncongenial  fellow.  I  should  think  there 
might  be  a  chance  in  this  direction." 

"Ah,  but,"  he  said,  eagerly,  "he  is  a  Chris- 
tian. My  sympathies  do  not  need  to  be  drawn 
out  in  that  direction." 

The  smile  was  a  peculiar  one  now,  but  the 
tone  was  very  quiet  in  which  the  little  lady  said 
that  some  time,  when  they  had  leisure  to  talk, 
she  should  like  to  ask  him  whether  his  experi- 
ence Avith  Christians  had  been  so  exceptionally 
bright  that  he  thought  there  was  no  work  to  do 
in  fhat  direction. 

"  But  just  now,"  she  added,  earnestly,  "  I  want 
to  know,  since  you  are  shut  away  from  home 
efibrt,  for  which  of  these  boys  you  are  praying 
especially,  and  which  of  them  do  you  carry 
about  on  your  heart,  with  the  hope  of  a  chance 
meeting,  an  unexpected  opportunity  to  speak  a 
word,  or  do  a  kindness,  or  look  a  kindness,  that 
shall  give  you  possible  future  influence?  Don't 
you  have  to  work  in  those  ways  ?     Two  people 


"^   Chrhtian  Homer  73 

never  equally  interest  mc  at  the  same  moment. 
I  find  I  must  be  intensely  individual,  not  to  the 
exclusion  of  others,  but  in  praying.  For  in- 
stance, yesterday  I  prayed,  and  this  morning  I 
prayed,  for  my  entire  class,  but  .there  was  one 
all  the  time  who  was  uppermost.  I  find  myself 
questioning,  "What  can  I  do  for  them  all,  but 
especially  for  him?  Do  you  know,  I  fancy 
that  most  Christians  feel  the  same ;  individual 
effort  is  so  necessary  that  I  have  thought  per- 
haps the  Holy  Spirit  turns  our  thoughts  most 
directly  toward  one  person  at  a  time,  so  that 
we  may  concentrate  our  efforts.  Do  you  think 
this  is  so  ?  " 

Young  Ried  did  not  answer  promptly  ;  ho  had 
no  answer  ready  that  suited  him.  His  strongest 
feeling  just  then  was  one  of  self-reproach, 
mingled  with  humiliation.  How  had  he  looked 
down  on  this  fair  and  beautiful  little  woman,  — 
her  very  beauty  being,  he  had  fancied,  an  clement 
against  her  Avhen  it  came  to  actual  effort.  IIov; 
had  ho  allowed  himself  to  sneer  over  her  at- 
tempts at  teaching  that  class  of  boyo  !  Jlow 
actually  irrita])lc  he  had  been  over  it !  How  al- 
most angrily  he  had  questioned  why  it  was  that 


74  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking." 

a  teacher  was  not  found  for  thera  fitted  to  their 
needs  ;  when  he  had  prayed  about  it  so  much  ; 
determined  not  to  believe  that  the  prayer  had 
been  answered,  and  the  teacher  found  ;  yet  here 
she  was,  the  one  whost  etlorts  he  had  despised, 
talking  already  about  individual  prayer  for 
them,  while  he,  who  had  done  a  great  amount 
of  fretting  for  thera,  had  not  once  presented 
them  as  individuals  to  Christ,  and  asked  a  defi- 
nite blessing  for  each  !  His  answer,  when  it 
came,  was  low  and  full  of  feeling :  — 

"  I  have  concentrated  my  desires  in  praying 
for  the  cominor  of  such  a  teacher  as  mi^ht  get 
liold  of  them  ;  and  I  begin  to  think  that  I  have 
an  answer  to  my  prayers." 

But  she  was  absolutely  proof  against  compli- 
ments. She  wasted  not  a  moment's  thought  on 
that,  but  said  :  — 

"Mr.  Ricd,  "who  arc  they?  I  tried  to  get 
their  names  yesterday,  but  soon  saw  that  they 
were  not  iu  the  mood  to  hclpmc.  I  don't  think 
I  have  one  correct  name.  Can  you  give  me  a 
list?" 

Xo,  he  could  not  —  which  admission  did  not 
lessen  the  glow  on  his  cheek.     Possibly  he  could 


'     "A  Christian  Home.'*  75 

ittention  the  names  of  two,  and  guess  at  a  third, 
hut  of  the  others  he  knew  nothing. 

"To  whom,  then,  can  I  go?  Mr.  Durant 
•would  know,  of  course.  "Where  shall  I  find 
him  ?  " 

So  much  Alfred  knew.  Mr.  Durant  was  to 
be  found  at  the  Fourth  National  Bank ;  but,  as 
for  ijiving  information  in  resrard  to  that  class,  ho 
was  sure  it  was  beyond  him.  He  (Alfred)  had 
asked  only  last  Sabbath  who  the  boy  was  who 
behaved  so  wretchedh',  and  also  who  was  the  fel- 
low next  him,  but  Mr.  Durant  had  not  known. 

Well,  then,  Mrs.  Roberts  said,  nothing 
daunted,  not  even  a  shadow  appearing  on  her 
quiet  face,  she  must  just  study  it  out  with  his 
help. 

"  There  is  immediate  work  for  you,"  she  said, 
"  for  of  course  I  Avant  to  know  their  names. 
Who  are  the  two?   This  Dirk  Colson,  whom  you 
mentioned,  — which  was  he? " 

Alfred  described  him  as  well  as  his  bewilder- 
ment would  allow,  and  was  interrupted  — 

"Oh,  the  small  dark  one.  I  know,  —  he  in- 
terested me.     Where  does  he  live  ?  " 

But  to  this  question  no  clear  answer  could  be 


7G  Ester  Piled  "  Yet  Sjpeahing .** 

given.  Dov.-n  in  one  of  (lie  alleys  towards  the 
South  End ;  but  just  Avhich  alley,  or  how  far 
dovv-n  it,  Alfred  did  not  know.  IIo  knew  it  was 
a  diGrcputiiblc  alley,  and  that  there  wasn't  a 
decent  home  anywhere  about  it,  and  that  was 
all. 

"What  docs  Dirk  do  for  a  llvino:?" 

This  question  was  quite  as  difficult  to  answer 
as  the  other.  Nothing-,  young  Ried  believed ; 
at  least  nothing  regular  ;  odd  jobs  he  doubtless 
picked  up  occasionally,  but  as  for  regular  em- 
ployment, Alfred  v»'as  sure  he  had  none. 

"  Is  that  his  fault?  I  mean,  docs  n't  ho  desire 
work,  and  make  an  effort  to  secure  it?" 

But  this  young  Ried  could  not  even  pretend 
to  answer.  "Work,  for  such  as  he,  was  scarce  ; 
boys  with  better  habits,  brought  up  to  l)c  in- 
dustrious, were  at  this  present  time  out  of  work. 
Possibly  the  fellow  was  not  to  blame  for  being 
an  idler. 

i\Iany  other  questions  were  asked,  and  many 
attempts  were  made  at  answers ;  but  when  the 
shoppers  began  to  press  in,  to  such  a  degree 
that  their  conversation  was  broken,  and  the 
encrofctic  seeker  after  information  felt  herself 


"A  Christian  Home"  77 

obll2;ed  to  retire,  one  thin<2:  had  been  accom- 
plishcd  ;  Alfred  Ried  had  been  made  to  realize 
that  he  knew  much  less  than  he  had  supposed 
he  did  about  the  seven  boys  Avho  had  seemed  to 
be  filling  his  thoughts  for  several  weeks  ;  and 
also,  in  his  eager,  passionate  desire  that  every- 
thing should  be  done  for  all  of  them,  he  had 
overlooked  the  chances  for  doing  here  and  there 
some  little  thing  for  one  of  them. 

"  Good  morning,"  Mrs.  Roberts  had  said, 
turning  cordially  to  a  fashionably-dressed  lady. 
"  Collars  ?  Oh,  yes,  this  is  the  counter  for  them  to 
be  found  in  endless  variety.  They  have  a  new 
pattern  that  I  have  been  admiring.  Mr.  Ried, 
please  show  Mrs.  Emory  the  curtain  collars, 
with  embroidered  points." 

"Which  thing  Mr.  Ried  proceeded  to  do  with 
alacrity  and  respect,  no  trace  of  the  earlier 
contemptuous  feeling  shadowing  his  face.  Here 
was  a  Avoman  who  knew  stylish  collars  when  she 
saw  them,  and  who  also  knew  several  other 
things,  and  had  taught  him  a  lesson  this  very 
morning  that  he  would  not  be  likely  to  forget. 

But  Mrs.  Roberts,  as  she  made  her  way  out 
from  the  fast-filling  store,  felt  that  she  had  not 


7S  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

made  great  progress  toward  getting  acquainted 
Avith  her  class. 

Still  it  must  be  admitted  that  if  young  Eied 
had  gotten  some  new  ideas,  so  also  had  she. 
"  A  Christian  home  ! "  She  found  herself  re- 
peating the  phrase,  lingering  over  it,  wondering 
if  her  new  home,  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
merited  that  title.  "It  cannot  simply  mean  a 
home  where  Christ  is  honored,"  she  said  to  her- 
self. "  I  surely  have  that.  It  rather  means  a 
home  where  everything  pertaining  to  it  serves 
His  cause.  The  very  furniture  and  the  light 
and  the  brightness  arc  made  to  do  duty  for  Him, 
else  they  have  no  place  there ;  and  I,  labelled 
Christian,  have  no  right  to  them.  Can  they  bear 
the  test,  I  wonder?  What  is  there  that  I  can  do 
■with  all  the  beauties  of  my  parlors?  There  are 
things  that  I  have  not  done.  I  can  see  some  to 
do  ;  but  how^  can  my  Christian  home  serve  these 
boys?  "When  I  get  them  into  it,  of  course  it  will 
■work  for  me  ;  but  how  to  get  them  in  !  Who 
are  they  ?  I  wonder  what  spring  I  can  touch  to 
give  me  even  this  meagre  bit  of  information  ? 

As  if  in  answer  to  her  mental  query,  she 
came  just  then  full  upon  Policeman  Duffer.    She 


"A  Christian  Home.''''  79 

recognized  him  instantly ;  a  man  who,  though 
by  no  means  small,  was  so  far  from  having  the 
majestic  presence  of  most  policemen  that,  in 
the  estimation  of  the  boys,  he  merited  the  name 
"  Little  Duffer."  Mrs.  Roberts  carried  to  her 
new  work  one  talent  not  always  to  be  found 
among  even  efficient  workers,  —  the  ability  to 
remember  both  names  and  faces.  Especially  did 
a  name,  seem,  without  any  effort  on  her  part,  to 
fasten  itself  upon  her  memory ;  and  not  only 
that,  but  it  brought  with  it  a  train  of  memories 
enabling  her  to  locate  when  and  where,  and 
under  what  circumstances,  she  heard  the  name  ; 
and,  therefore,  generally  whom  the  name  fitted. 
Recognizing  the  features  of  the  policeman  whom 
she  had  seen  at  the  door  of  the  South  End  Mis- 
sion, she  connected  him  at  once  with  the  term 
"  Little  Duffer,"  heard  in  her  class,  and  ad- 
dressed him  :  — 

«  Mr.  Duffer,  I  believe." 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  Policeman  Duffer,  en- 
tirely accustomed  as  he  was  to  hearing  himself 
addressed  officially  a  hundred  or  a  thousand 
times  a  day,  was  yet  utterly  unaccustomed  to 
the  prefix  of  "  Mr.",  and  started  in  surprise. 


80  Ester  JRied  "  Yel  SpeaJcing." 

"Arc  you  not  the  gentleman  Tvhom  I  saw. at 
the  South  End  last  Sabbath  ?  " 

The  policeman  admitted  that  he  probably  was. 
He  was  detailed  for  duty  there.  Then  she 
plunged  at  once  into  business.  Did  he  know 
the  boys  who  attended  that  school?  Some  of 
them  he  did,  better  than  ho  wanted  to ;  and  a 
precious  set  they  were,  in  Policeman  Duffer's 
opinion. 

"  Might  as  well  go  out  to  the  Zoo,"  he  de- 
clarod,  "and  get  a  set  of  animals  and  try  to 
tame  'em." 

Mrs.  Eoberts  was  not  in  the  mood  to  argue ; 
she  was  bent  on  information.  Did  he  know, 
she  wondered,  the  boys  Avho  composed  her 
class?  She  had  just  taken  the  class,  and  was 
so  unfortunate  as  not  to  be  acquainted  with  their 
names.  One  was  Dirk  Colson,  and  another  she 
had  heard  was  Haskell —  Timothy  Haskell,  per- 
haps, though  of  that  she  was  not  certain.  Did 
that  give  ^Ir.  Duffer  any  clue? 

"  Plenty  of  clue,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head. 
"So  youVe  taken  that  class,  ma'am?"  —  a 
curious  mixture  of  amazement  and  credulity  in 
his  voice.     "  What  possessed  you,  it  I  may  be 


M  Christian  Home"  81 

so  bold?  They  're  a  liard  lot,  ma'am.  I  know 
them,  as  I  said,  altogether  too  Avell.  I've  had 
enough  to  do  with  some  of  them ;  and  I  expect 
more  work  from  them.  They  gain  in  wicked- 
ness in  a  most  sm'prising  way.  Their  names, 
yes ;  there 's  Scrawley  and  Sneaking  Billy,  and 
Bkick  Dirk,  —  him  you  know." 

Mrs.  Roberts  interrupted  him.  She  begged 
his  pardon,  but  could  those  really  be  the  boys' 
names?  Were  they  not  rather  some  unfortu- 
nate street  names  that  had  been  fastened  upon 
them  ? 

Thus  brought  back  to  his  senses,  Policeman 
Duffer  laughed,  and  admitted  that  he  supposed 
Sneaking  Billy  was  properly  named  Sneyder ; 
but  he  was  once  caught  in  a  mean  trick,  from 
which  he  tried  in  so  many  ways  to  squirm  out, 
that  the  boys  had  themselves  named  him  Sneak-r 
ing  Billy,  and  the  name  had  stuck. 

As  for  "  Scrawley,"  his  real  name  was  Stephen 
Crowley."  How  it  became  contracted  into 
"  Scrawley  "  the  boys  could  tell  better  than  any- 
body else.  They  always  called  him  that,  and 
so  did  other  people  ;  and  Policeman  Duffer  was 
inclined  to  doubt  whether  the  fellow  remem- 
bered that  he  had  any  other  name. 


82  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

''  You  can  see  yourself,  ma'am,"  he  added, 
"  how  Black  Dirk  came  by  his  name.  He  is  the 
blackest  white  fellow  as  ever  I  saw,  and  I  've 
seen  crowds  of  'em." 

The  streets  were  full,  and  Policeman  Duffer 
was  being  interviewed  by  a  great  many  people 
in  regard  to  all  the  questions  that  policemen  are 
expected  to  answer.  But  by  dint  of  patient 
waiting,  one  foot  poised  on  a  curbstone  to  keep 
it  out  of  the  mud,  making  huri'ied  little  memo- 
randa while  Policeman  Duffer  was  engaged,  and 
earnestly  plying  her  questions  when  he  was  at 
leisure,  Mrs.  Roberts  learned  the  names  of  her 
seven  boys,  and  where  several  of  them  lived. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

«« SATAN,  HE  HAS  'EM  ALL  THE  WEEK." 

HAT  Black  Dirk  is  a  case,"  said  Po- 
liceman Duffer,  turning  hastily  away 
from  an  unusually  stupid  man,  who 
could  not  be  made  to  understand 
where  a  certain  street  was.  "  He  is  the  worst 
of  the  lot,  /  believe.  Jerry  Tompkins  is  slyer, 
and  Dick  Bolton  is  quicker  than  lightning  at 
mischief;  Nimble  Dick  they  call  him;  he's  a 
sort  of  ringleader ;  what  he  does  the  rest  are 
apt  to ;  but,  to  my  thinking,  Dirk  is  ahead  of 
them  all  for  evil.  The  rest  are  kind  of  jolly ; 
fun  seems  to  be  about  half  that  they  are  after ; 
but  Dirk,  he 's  sullen  ;  you  never  know  how  to 
take  him,  nor  when  he  may  burst  out  on  you. 
He 's  dangerous.  I  am  always  looking  out  for 
something  aAvful  that  he  will  do." 

Poor  Dirk !  Yet  he  was  the  boy  to  whom 
Mrs.  Roberts'  desires  had  gone  out  the  most 
anxiously.     It  was  over  his  image  that  she  had 


84  Ester  Ried  ^'Yet  Speaking.*" 

lingered  that  morning  in  her  closet.  Policeman 
DiifFer  would  have  been  greatly  astonished  had 
he  known  there  Avas  that  in  his  words  which 
gave  her  courage.  "Perhaps,"  she  said  to  her- 
self, with  quickening  breath,  "oh,  perhat)s  the 
poor  boy  is  the  most  in  danger  of  them  all,  and 
the  Saviour,  knowing  it,  sees  Avays  in  which  I 
may  reach  him,  and  so  presses  his  poor,  sullen 
face  on  my  memory." 

"  What  does  he  do  for  a  living  ? "  she  has- 
tened to  ask. 

"Well,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  he  loafs 
for  a  living.  That 's  all  I  've  ever  known  him 
guilty  of  doing.  He 's  got  a  drunken  father,  — 
one  of  the  meanest  kind  of  drunkards.  If  he 
would  go  and  stay  drunk  all  the  time  and  leave 
them  alone  they  might  manage ;  but  he  has 
spells  of  getting  half  over  it,  and  coming  home 
and  tearing  around  like  all  possessed.  Then 
the}'  have  times  !  I  've  been  in  there  when  it 
took  all  mv  strcno:th  to  mana<rc  him.  If  he 
"would  get  killed  in  one  of  his  rows  I  'd  have 
some  hope  of  the  rest  of  'em ;  but  he  won't. 
That  kind  of  folks  never  do  get  killed  ;  it's  the 
decent  ones.     A  fellow  was  carried  by  here  just 


^SataUy  he  has  ^em  All  the  Week.'''        85 

now  with  a  broken  leg,  —  a  nice,  decent  boy ; 
works  hard  to  help  his  sister.  He  's  the  sort 
now  that  gets  his  leg  broken  and  gets  laid  up 
for  the  rest  of  the  winter.  How  do  you  ac- 
count for  that?  He  lives  pretty  near  Black 
Dirk's.  Of  course,  he 's  got  a  drunken  father  ; 
they  all  have  in  that  row  ;  but  if  I  was  going  in 
for  benevolence  I  'd  twice  as  soon  do  something 
for  young  Calkins  as  for  any  of  your  set ; 
they  're  a  bad  lot.  They  arc  n't  worth  lifting  a 
finger  for.     Now,  that 's  a  fact." 

"And  yet,"  said  INIrs.  Roberts,  her  voice 
tremulous  with  a  feeling  that  just  then  surged 
over  her,  "  how  can  I  help  remembering  that  if 
the  Lord  Jesus  had  said  that  of  us,  and  stayed 
up  there  in  his  glory,  we  should  have  been 
utterly  without  help  or  hope  to-day  ? "' 

Very  much  astonished  was  Policeman  Duffer. 
Ladies  on  all  sorts  of  errands  had  consulted 
him.  He  had  been  presented  with  many  tracts 
in  his  day ;  but  rarely  had  a  clear-voiced,  earn- 
est-eyed woman  quietly  confronted  him  with 
that  name,  as  if  it  contained  an  unanswerable 
argument.     Ilowever,  he  was  not  embarrassed ; 

it  took  a  great  deal  to  embarrass  him. 

-  -^- 


86  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaJcing:' 

"  I  don 't  take  much  stock  in  him,"  he  said, 
with  a  lofty  toss  of  his  head,  and  a  careless 
tone,  as  though  the  question  were  one  easy  to 
dispose  of.     "  I  don't  believe  in  him  myself." 

"  Do  you  know  him  ?  " 

Earnest  eyes,  raised  to  his  face,  fixed  steadily 
on  his  face,  while  the  questioner  waited  quietly 
for  an  answer. 

Policeman  Duffer  was  embarrassed  now ;  he 
was  not  used  to  being  confronted  with  such 
matter-of-fact  questions. 

"Do  I  know  him?"  with  a  confused  little 
laugh.  "  Why,  I  reckon  not,  ma'am ;  accord- 
ing to  the  popular  notion  he  is  too  far  away  for 
folks  to  be  well  acquainted." 

"  Then  popular  notion  is  mistaken,  for  I  know 
him  very  well  indeed ;  and  he  is  by  no  means 
far  away.  But  what  I  meant  was,  Have  you 
studied  his  life  and  character,  and  do  you  fully 
understand  the  arguments  for  believing  in 
him?" 

"  I  study  the  folks  who  profess  to  belong  to 
him,  ma'am,  and  I  find  that  about  as  much  as  I 
can  stand." 

This  was  said  with  a  saucy  little  laugh,  and 


^* Satan,  he  has  'em  All  the  Week.'*        87 

with  the  air  of  a  man  who  believed  he  had  pro- 
duced an  unanswerable  argument.  The  steady 
eyes  did  not  move  from  his  face,  and  the  voice 
which  answered  him  had  lost  none  of  its  quiet- 
ness ;  — 

"  But  do  you  think  it  is  wise  to  spend  your 
time  in  studying  the  imperfect  copies,  without 
looking  at  the  perfect  pattern  ?  You  would  not 
take  the  child's  careless  imitation  as  a  proof 
that  his  teacher  could  not  write.  I  thank  j^ou 
for  helping  me  to-day.  I  wish  you  would  help 
my  boys  when  you  can  ;  and  I  wish  you  would 
study  my  Master  instead  of  me.  Good  morn- 
ing." 

"That's  a  queer  party  !  "  did  Policeman  Duffer 
exclaim,  as  he  watched  her  far  down  the  street. 
"I'm  blessed  if  I  wouldn't  like  to  know  who 
she  is  ;  she  ain't  like  the  rest,  somehow.  Her 
boys  !  Much  she  knows  about  'em  !  Her  bears 
she  might  as  well  call  'em !  What  does  she 
think  she  can  do  with  that  set  in  her  little  hour, 
Sunday  afternoon?  Satan,  he  has  'em  all  the 
week,  and  looks  after  'em  sharp  ;  and  then  these 
Christians  come  in  of  a  Sunday,  and  mince  a 
little,  and  think  they  can  upset  his  doings  by  it. 


88  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking." 

Shows  their  sense  !  But  she 's  a  curious  little 
party;  sharp,  without  knowing  it.  I'm  blessed 
if  I  don't  keep  an  eye  on  her,  and  save  her  from 
scrapes,  if  I  can." 

Meantime,  all  unconscious  of  his  good  inten- 
tions, Mrs.  Roberts  pursued  her  way  down  the 
thronged  avenue,  and  presently  turned  from  it 
entirely,  and  moved  down  one  of  the  side-streets 
with  resolute  steps.  A  daring  thought  had  come 
into  her  mind ;  she  would  try  to  find  the  alley 
where  one  at  least  of  her  boys  lived.  It 
could  n't  be  worse  than  some  of  the  alleys  at 
home  which  she  had  penetrated.  She  felt  cer- 
tain that  by  following  the  policeman's  directions 
she  could  find  the  place,  and  possibly  be  able  to 
minister  to  the  boy  with  a  broken  limb.  At  all 
events,  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  know  how  her 
boys  lived,  and  where  they  lived,  if  she  were  to 
reach  them.  But  there  are  allej'^s,  and  alley Sy 
as  the  venturesome  lady  found  to  her  cost.  This 
one  into  which  she  was  plunging  excelled  any- 
thing in  that  line  which  she  had  ever  imagined,  — 
swarming  with  life  in  its  most  repulsive  forms, 
and  growing  every  moment  more  terrifying  to  a 
well-dressed  woman  bravinij  its  horrors  alone. 


''Sa(a7i,  he  has  'em  All  the  Week:'        89 

She  stopped  in  dismay  at  last,  admitting,  re- 
luctantly, that  the  wisest  thing  she  could  do  was 
to  turn  around  and  go  home.  Possibly  the  loisest, 
but  not,  it  appeared,  practicable.  Where  teas 
home?  Down  which  of  the  cross-streets  had 
she  come?  Did  this  one  where  she  stood  lead 
to  it,  or  did  it  lead,  as  it  appeared  to  her,  in  an 
entirely  opposite  direction  ?  She  looked  up  and 
doAvn  and  across  for  some  familiar  landmark, 
and  looked  in  vain,  growing  momentarily  more 
frightened  at  the  attention  she  was  attracting  by 
standing  irresolutely  there.  Flossy  Shipley,  in 
her  girlhood  days,  had  been  almost  a  hopeless 
coward ;  and  Flossy  Roberts  felt,  by  the  throb- 
bing of  her  heart,  that  she  had  not  yet  out- 
grown her  girlish  character.  Suddenly  she  gave 
u  little  exclamation  of  delight,  and  with  a  spring 
forward  laid  her  hand  on  the  arm  of  one  whom 
she  recognized,  none  other  than  "Kimble  Dick" 
himself. 

"I  am  so  glad,"  she  said  to  the  amazed  young 
scamp,  a  little  quiver  of  satisfaction  in  her  voice, 
"  so  glad  to  have  met  you.  Do  you  know 
you  are  a  friend  in  need?  1  have  lost  my 
way.     I  cannot  decide  which  way  to  turn  to 


90  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

reach  Fifth  Avenue  again.  Will  you  help  me, 
please  ?  " 

When  had  Nimble  Dick  lost  an  opportunity 
for  fun  at  the  expense  of  another  ?  Here  was  a 
chance  for  a  jolly  lark !  A  woman  scared  to 
death  because  she  was  on  Green  alley.  What 
would  she  think  of  Burk  Street !  Suppose  he 
should  send  her  there  ?  Only  three  blocks  away, 
through  a  lovelier  part  of  the  city  than  she  had 
seen  yet,  he  would  venture !  If  the  crowds 
here  showed  her  too  nuich  attention,  it  would  be 
worth  something  to  see  how  she  got  through 
Burk  Street. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  said,  briskly,  "  I  can  show  you 
the  way  in  a  twinkling.  You  just  go  down  this 
alley  till  you  come  to  the  big  house  on  the  cor- 
ner, that  has  the  windows  all  knocked  out  of  it ; 
then  you  turn  and  go  down  that  street  till  you 
get  to  the  third  crossing ;  then  turn  again  to  the 
right,  and  you  '11  be  on  Fifth  Avenue  before  you 
know  it." 

Had  Mrs.  Roberts  been  looking  at  his  face, 
she  would  have  seen  the  wicked  light  dancing 
in  his  eyes  over  the  thought  that  he  had  thus 
mapped  out  for  her  a  walk  through  the  very 


*' Satan,  he  has  'em  All  the  Week."       91 

worst  portion  of  the  city,  every  step,  of  course, 
leading  her  further  and  further  away  from  Fifth 
Avenue.  The  sigrhts  that  she  mioht  see,  and 
the  mishaps  which  might  occur  to  her, —  a  hand- 
somely-dressed woman  alone,  —  before  she  made 
her  way  through  the  horrors  of  these  streets, 
were  too  much  even  for  Nimble  Dick's  imagina- 
tion, who  knew  the  locality  Avell.  He  did  not 
try  to  calculate  them,  but  gave  himself  up  to 
the  enjoyment  of  imagining  how  long  it  would 
be  before  she  would  reach  home  if  she  followed 
his  directions.  "  She  won't  see  no  swallowing 
serpents  that  I  knows  of,"  he  reflected,  glee- 
fully ;  "  but  I  '11  miss  my  reckoning  if  she  don't 
see  what  will  scare  her  worse  than  they  would." 
But  Mrs.  Roberts  Avas  already  "  scared."  She 
felt  her  heart  beating  hard,  and  knew  that  her 
cheeks  were  aglow  with  excitement  and  vague 
terror.  She  was  not  used  to  walking  such 
streets  alone.  She  looked  ahead  at  the  way 
pointed  out,  and  could  see  that  the  swarm- 
ing life  grew  more  turbid  as  far  as  her  eye 
could  reach.  She  felt  that  she  could  not  brave 
its  terrors  unprotected.  Suddenly  she  turned 
from  looking  down  the  alley,  and  her  hand,  a 


92  Ester  Riecl  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

small,  delicately-gloved  hand,  -was  again  laid 
on  Nimble  Dick's  arm  ;  he  could  feel  it  trem- 
bling. 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  seem  very  foolish  to  you," 
she  said,  gently ;  "  but  I  am  afraid  to  walk 
down  there  alone.  Would  you  mind  cfoin": 
along  with  me  to  protect  me?  I  am  only  a 
woman,  you  know,  and  we  are  apt  to  be  cow- 
ards." 

A  very  curious  sensation  came  over  Nimble 
Dick.  lie  looked  up  the  allej^  and  down  the 
alley,  and  was  glad  that  not  one  of  the  "  fel- 
lows "  was  in  sight.  AYhat  was  to  become  of 
his  lark?  But  there  was  that  hand  still  resting 
on  his  arm,  with  a  persuasive  touch  in  it;  and 
he  had  never  been  appealed  to  for  protection 
before, —  never  in  his  life  !  Was  it  possible  that 
Mith  him  she  would  not  be  afraid?  He  turned 
and  looked  at  her,  searchingly,  a  scowl  on  liis 
face,  —  no,  she  was  not  "  shamming ;  "  her  eyes 
were  full  of  anxious  fear,  and  also  of  petition. 
Nimble  Dick  was  amazed  at  himself  and  ashamed 
of  himself;  he  did  not  know  how  to  account 
for  his  sudden  change  of  intention.  But  he 
suddenly  turned  in  an  opposite  direction  from 


''Satan,  lie  has  'em  All  (he  WeeJc,"        93 

the  one  Avhich  he  had  pointed  out,  and  said, 
"  Come  on,  then ;  I  '11  show  you  a  shorter 
way,"  and  strode  forward. 

"Oh,  thank  you  !  "  she  said,  relief  and  grati- 
tude in  her  voice.  "  I  shall  be  so  much  obliged 
to  you  for  coming  with  me  ;  I  am  quite  be- 
wildered ;  cannot  decide  which  way  I  came,  or 
anything  about  it.  I  Avas  trying  to  find  the 
house  of  a  young  man  who  has  been  hurt.  A 
policeman  told  me  that  he  lived  on  this  street, 
and  that  his  name  is  Calkins.  I  was  thinkins; 
about  him,  and  walked  on  without  noticing,  un- 
til I  did  not  know  where  I  was.  Do  you  know 
anything  of  the  young  man?  " 

"  You  are  too  far  down  for  him,"  said  Nimble 
Dick.  "  He  's  qualit}^  and  lives  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  alley.  That 's  his  house,  away  up 
there.  He  's  hurt  bad,  they  say  ;  but  I  s'pose 
he  '11  get  well.  He's  got  a  quality  doctor,  —  a 
regular  swell,  who  never  come  into  these  alleys 
before.  He  was  going  along  when  they  brought 
Mark  home,  and  he  followed  them  in,  and  he 
come  there  airain  last  ni^lit  and  this  morning. 
I  dunno  what  for,  I'm  sure.  Mark  Calkins 
can't  pay  uo  doctor's  bills,  if  he  does  work 


94  Uster  Ried  "Yet  Speahingr 

regular,  and  pay  more  rent  than  the  rest  of 
folks." 

There  was  a  curious  mixture  of  complaint  and 
satisfaction  in  Dick's  tone.  Mrs.  Eobcrts  gath- 
ered from  it  that  the  young  man,  Mark  Calkins, 
in  whom  the  policeman  had  tried  to  interest  her, 
was  superior  to  the  rest  of  the  miserable  people 
in  the  alley,  and  that  they  resented  it  as  an  in- 
sult to  themselves ;  but  that,  at  the  same  time, 
the  reflected  honor  of  having  a  "  swell  "  doctor 
come  into  their  midst,  attendant  upon  one  who 
really  belonged  to  their  class,  was  very  great. 
Could  she  possibly  get  a  little  influence  over 
them  by  following  up  the  injured  young  man, 
and  giving  Avhat  help  was  needful?  She  had 
hardly  meant  to  call,  though  trying  to  find  the 
house.  Her  method  of  reasoning  had  been 
something  like  this :  "  The  policeman  said  he 
lived  about  two  blocks  from  my  poor  Dirk's 
home.  Since  there  has  so  recently  been  an  acci- 
dent, there  may  be  something  to  mark  the  house, 
—  a  doctor  passing  in,  possibly,  or  something 
that  shall  give  me  a  landmark,  and  I  can  have  a 
glimpse  of  the  outside  of  one  of  the  homes." 
In  her  isrnorance  of  life  at  that  end  of  the  social 


"  Satan,  he  has  'em  All  the  WeeJcJ"       95 

scale  she  did  not  know  that  a  doctor  passing  in 
and  out,  even  after  an  accident,  was  a  sufficiently 
rare  occurrence  to  make  much  more  of  a  mark 
than  she  was  looking  for.  So  absorbed  had  she 
been  over  the  bo3'^s  belonging  to  her  class  that 
^he  had  rather  ignored  the  policeman's  manifest 
hint  to  add  this  one  to  her  list.  Yet,  was  it  pos- 
sibly an  answer  to  her  prayer,  an  entering-wedge 
of  some  sort,  that  might  open  the  way  to  in- 
fluence ? 

"  Who  is  the  doctor?"  she  asked  her  guide, 
as  the  possibility  of  making  an  entrance  through 
him  occurred  to  her.  "  Do  you  know  his 
name  ?  " 

Oh  yes,  Dick  knew  his  name  and  where  he 
lived,  and  even  the  names  of  some  of  his 
"swell"  patients  ;  — trust  him  for  gaining  infor- 
mation about  anything  that  came  into  the 
alley. 

"It's  Dr.  Everett,"  he  said  promptly,  that 
curious  touch  of  pride  appearing  again  in  his 
voice.  "  He  lives  away  up  among  the  Twenty- 
thirders,  and  he  goes  to  Cady's  house  to  doctor, 
and  lots  of  them  places  where  the  big  ones  lives. 
I  dunno  how  he  happens  to  come  here." 


96  JEster  Ried  "  Yet  Spealcing." 

ISIrs.  Roberts  had  never  heard  the  name,  but 
she  reflected  that  slie  was  a  new-conicr,  and 
wisely  desisted  from  taking  from  the  glory  of 
Dr.  Everett  by  admitting  that  he  was  not  known 
to  all  the  world.  He  might  be  a  good  doctor 
and  a  philanthropic  one ;  his  visits  to  this  region 
looked  like  it. 

"  Do  you  know  where  any  of  the  boys  in  our 
class  live?" 

This  was  her  next  carefully-worded  question. 
She  did  not  know  whether  to  hint  that  she  had 
heard  of  one  who  lived  in  thsit  alley,  or  whether 
this  would  be  considered  an  insult. 

"  Well,"  said  Nimble  Dick,  the  sly  twinkle 
coming  back  to  his  eyes  that  the  strangeness  of 
the  situation  had  driven  away  for  a  moment,  "I 
calculate  that  I  know  where  I  live  myself ; 
sometimes  I  do,  anyhow." 

"  To  be  sure  ! "  she  said,  laus^hin*?  at  his  humor. 
"  I  should  have  said,  where  any  of  the  others 
live.  Of  course  you  will  give  me  your  address, 
after  beinj;  so  kind  as  to  see  me  to  —  some 
point  Avhere  I  am  acquainted." 

She  had  nearly  said  a  place  of  safety,  but 
checked   herself    in    time.      I    am    not   sure, 


^^ Satan,  he  has  'em  All  the  Week."        97 

though,  that  Dick  would  have  noticed  it ;  he 
was  lost  in  astonishment  over  the  idea  of  giving 
anybody  his  address  ! 

"This  is  Dirk  Colson's  house,"  he  said,  sud- 
denly, "and  he  is  one  of  our  fellows." 

Mrs.  Roberts  uttered  an  exclamation.  The 
house  was  one  of  the  most  forlorn  in  the  row, 
seeminij,  if  the  miserable  state  of  the  buildinifs 
would  admit  of  comparison,  to  be  more  out 
of  repair  than  the  others.  It  came  home  to  her 
just  then,  with  a  sudden,  desolating  force,  that 
human  beings,  such  as  she  was  trying  to  reach, 
and  such  as  she  hoped  would  live  in  heaven  for- 
ever, called  such  earthlj^  habitations  as  these 
homes.  What  possible  idea  could  they  ever  get 
of  heaven  by  calling  it  "  home  "? 

"  Do  the}'  have  the  whole  of  that  house  ?  " 

She  asked  the  question  timidly,  for  the  build- 
ing looked  very  large,  but  she  was  utterly  un- 
used to  city  tenement  life. 

"  The  whole  of  that  house  ? "  Dick  fairly 
shouted  the  sentence,  and  bent  himself  double 
with  laughter.  "  Well,  I  should  say  not,  mum  ! 
As  near  as  I  can  calculate,  about  thirty-five  dif- 
ferent families  have  that  pleasure.     The  whole 


98  Ester  Hied  '"  Yet  Speaking." 

of  the  house!  Oh,  my!  "What  a  greeny  I" 
And  he  lauijhed  aajain. 

Mrs.  Roberts  exerted  herself  to  laugh  with 
him,  albeit  she  Avas  horror-stricken.  Thirty- 
iive  families  in  one  house  !  Hoav  could  they  be 
other  than  awful  in  their  ways  of  living  ?  " 

"  I  know  almost  nothing  about  great  cities," 
she  said ;  "  my  home  was  in  a  much  smaller 
one." 

This  w^as  the  truth,  but  not  the  whole  truth. 
Instinct  kept  this  veritable  lady,  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  word,  from  explaining  that  she 
knew  nothing  about  the  abject  poor,  when  she 
was  speaking  to  one  of  their  number.  Just  at 
this  moment  occurred  a  diversion  ;  they  had 
been  making  swift  progress  through  the  alley, 
Dick's  long  strides  requiring  effort  on  his  com- 
panion's part  to  keep  by  his  side,  but  just  ahead 
the  way  was  obstructed. 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

"WHAT  A  LITTLE  SCHEMER  IT  IS. 


Ip^/\*A,1  EIOT  !  Not  among  men,  which  is  suf- 
Wv^'  ficiently  terrifying;  nor  yet  among 
women,  which  is  worse  ;  but  that  most 
awful  of  all  sights  and  sounds  of  sin, 
—  a  riot  among  the  children.  Swearing,  spit- 
ting at  one  another,  tearing  one  another's  hair, 
scratching  like  tigers,  growling  like  wild  beasts, 
throwing  garbage  at  one  another  !  This  was  the 
sort  of  crowd  upon  which  Mrs.  Roberts,  in  her 
black  silk  walking-suit,  Avith  her  velvet  hat  and 
seal  furs,  presently  \3ame.  She  grasped  at 
Dick's  arm  in  horror,  but  a  feeling  that  was 
more  than  terror  was  taking  her  strength  away. 
"  Oh  !  "  she  said,  and  the  agony  in  her  voice 
really  suggested  more  than  terror  to  the  young 
fellow  beside  her.  "  And  they  are  little  chil- 
dren I  They  cannot  be  more  than  seven  or 
eight !     Oh,  what  can  1  do?" 

99 


100  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking  r 

"  You  need  n't  be  scared,  mum  !  "  There  was 
a  little  hint  of  something  like  pity  in  Dick's 
voice.  She  duns:  to  him  so  that  he  could  not 
help  feeling  himself  her  protector.  "It  ain't 
an  uncommon  row  at  all ;  they  mostly  act  like 
this  ;  most  likely  one  of  'em 's  found  a  bone  and 
t'  other  one  wants  it,  and  then  the^'^'re  gone  in 
for  a  row,  and  all  the  young  ones  crowd  around 
and  fight,  on  one  side  or  t'  other." 

Did  this  fearful  explanation  make  the  situ- 
tion  less  terrible? 

There  was  a  lull,  hoAvever,  in  the  quarrel. 
The  elegantly-dressed  lady  was  seen  approach- 
ing,—  an  unusual  sight  in  that  alley,  —  and 
both  parties  paused  to  get  a  view.  Paused  in 
their  attentions  to  each  other,  that  is ;  but  at 
Mrs.  Roberts  they  hooted  and  jeered,  and  one 
threw  a  handful  of  mud.  ' 

Then  did  Nimble  Dick  rise  to  his  position  as 
protector. 

"  Shut  up,  there  I  Stand  aside,  Pluck,  and  let 
us  pass  I  Look  out  there,  you  Sniirchy  !  Don't 
you  throw  that  over  here  unless  you  want  your 
head  broke  for  you  when  I  get  back  I " 

This  threat  was  thrown  at  a  wretched  little 


"  What  a  Little  Schemer  it  is.''  101 

girl,  Avho  had  dived  her  hand  deeply  into  a  box 
or  cask  of  garbage,  and  l)rought  it  forth  reek- 
ing with  rotten  apples,  pork  fat,  and  any  liquid 
horror  "which  the  name  suggests  to  you.  She 
had  her  hand  uplifted  ready  to  throw,  and  w-as 
evidently  intending  to  give  the  strange  lady  the 
benefit  of  what  she  had  prepared  for  one  of  the 
rioters. 

The  assured  tone  in  which  Nimble  Dick  spoke 
had  its  effect;  the  combatants  were  all  small, 
and  he  was  large,  and  Avas  evidently  recognized 
as  a  poAver.  There  were  some  defiant  glances 
thrown  at  him,  but  the  motley  crowd  gave  way, 
and  allowed  him  to  pass  uninjured.  Still  he 
kept  an  alert  watch  of  them  until  quite  out  of 
reach,  and  w'as  not  sparing  of  his  admonitions. 

"  Hold  on  there.  Bill,  —  I  see  that !  Look 
out,  Sally  !  You  '11  be  sorry  if  you  throAV  any- 
thing, —  mind  you  that  I  " 

And  at  last  they  Avere  through  the  crowd. 
Not  out  of  danger,  it  seemed  ;  for  there,  directly 
in  their  narrow  path,  Avas  a  drunken  man,  sAvay- 
ing  from  side  to  side  in  the  Avay  Avhich  is  so  ter- 
rible to  one  unused  to  such  sights.  Dick  felt 
the  hold  on  his  arm  tighten,  and  was  aston- 


102  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speakihj^:' 

ished  at  the  sound  of  his  own  voice  as  he  said, 
soothingly :  — 

"  You  need  n't  be  scared  at  him,  mum  ;  that 's 
only  old  Jock ;  he's  as  ugly  as  old  Nick  him*- 
self,  but  he  knows  better  than  to  be  very  ugly 
to  me.  I  can  throw  him  m  the  gutter  as  easy 
as  I  could  them  young  ones,  and  he  knows  it. 
That 's  Dirk's  father,  that  is !  Ain't  he  a 
beauty?" 

And  again  Mrs.  Roberts  uttered  an  exclama- 
tion of  dismay,  and  part  of  her  terror  went  out 
in  sorrow  over  the  wrongs  of  a  bov  who  had 
such  a  home  and  such  a  father.  What  ought  to 
be  expected  of  him  ? 

That  interminable  alley  was  conquered  at  last, 
and  they  emerged  into  respectability  on  the 
broad  avenue.  Mrs.  Roberts  released  her  hold 
of  her  protector's  arm,  and  his  new  character 
vanished  on  the  instant. 

"You're  here,  mum,"  he  said,  with  a  saucy 
twinkle  in  his  eye  and  a  saucy  leer  on  his  face. 
"  Can  you  get  yourself  home  from  this  spot, 
or  shall  I  borrow  a  wheelbarrow  and  tote  you 
there?" 

Much  shaken  with  various  emotions  though 


"WJiat  a  LMe  Schemer  it  is."        105 

she  was,  Mrs.  Roberts  forced  herself  to  laugh. 
She  would  not  frown  on  his  fun  when  it  wasgiot 
positively  sinful ;  he  might  not  be  aware  that  it 
was  disrespectful ;  he  might  never  have  heard 
the  word. 

"  I  know  the  way  now,  thank  you  ;  at  least  I 
think  I  do.  Can  you  tell  me  whether  I  take  a 
green  car  or  a  yellow  one  to  get  to  East  Fifty- 
fifth  Street?" 

"  You  take  a  green  one,"  he  said,  quietly,  his 
character  of  protector  having  returned  to  him 
with  the  question,  which  still  showed  her  de- 
pendence on  him. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said  again,  with  great  hearti- 

m 

ness.  "I  sliall  never  forget  your  care  of  me." 
Her  hand  was  in  her  pocket,  and'  a  bright  coin 
was  between  her  fingers.  She  longed  to  give  it 
to  Nimble  Dick  ;  he  had  saved  her  from  so  much 
this  morning.  And  he  was  so  miserably  clad, 
surely  he  needed  help.  A  moment's  reflection, 
and  she  resolutely  withdrew  her  hand.  Pie 
should  be  paid  by  a  simple  hearty,  "  Thank  you  ! " 
this  morning,  for  kindness  rendered.  He  might 
not  consider  it  a  current  coin,  but  possibly  it 
would  be  his  first  lesson  in  the  courtesies  of  life. 


104  Ester  Ried  *' Yet  Speaking r 

Later  in  the  day,  when  Mrs.  Roberts  was 
soijiewhat  rested  from  her  morning's  campaign, 
young  Ried  received  a  little  note  :  — 

Dear  Mn.  Ried,  — I  know  the  names  of  all  the  bovs, 
and  inclose  you  a  list.  It  is  possible  that  you  may  fall  in 
witli  some  one  daring  the  day  who  can  inijjartknoulcdiio 
concei-ning  them.  Anyway,  I  thought  you  would  like 
to  know  their  names.  Keep  me  posted,  please,  as  to  3'our 
success  in  making  their  acquaintance.  We  are  allies, 
remember.  Youi's  for  the  ^Master, 

MliS.   E.   L.   EOBEUTS. 

Alfred  Ried  twisted  the  delicate  note-paper 
thoughtfully  in  his  hand,  a  look  of  perplexity 
on  his  face.  He  felt  committed  for  labor ;  glad 
was  he,  very,  yet  perplexed.  He  did  not  in 
the  least  know  where  to  commence.  Well, 
neither  had  this  little  lady  ;  3'et  she  had  accom- 
plished more  in  her  one  day's  acquaintance 
than  he  after  a  lapse  of  weeks.  Either  she 
had  found  opportunities,  or  had  made  them. 
There  must  be  chances ;  he  would  be  sure  to 
keep  his  eyes  open  after  this. 

In  the  handsome  house  on  East  Fifty-fifth 
Street,  where  Mr.  Roberts  had  settled  his  bride, 
after  a  somewhat  extended  business  tour,  in- 
volving months   of  absence,  matters  were   in 


"  What  a  Little  Schemer  it  is.''  105 

train  for  a  cosy  evening  in  the  library.  That 
was  the  name  of  the  beautiful  room  Avherc  the 
husl^and  and  wife  sat  down  together  ;  but  it  was 
quite  unlike  the  conventional  library.  Books 
there  were  in  lavish  abundance,  but  there  were 
also  pictures  and  flowers  and  a  singing-bird  or 
two,  and  an  utter  absence  of  that  severe  atten- 
tion to  business  details  which  characterizes  most 
rooms  so  named.  Little  prettinesses,  which  Mr. 
Roberts  smilinglj^  admitted  did  not  belong  to  a 
library,  were  yet  established  there,  with  an  air 
of  having  come  to  stay.  "We  Avill  call  it  the 
library  for  convenience,"  the  master  of  the  house 
said,  "and  then  we  will  put  into  it  Avhatever  we 
l^lease.  It  shall  be  a  conservatory,  and  a  scav- 
ing-room  and  a  lounging-room  and  an3'thing 
else  that  you  and  I  choose  to  make  it."  And 
Mrs.  Roberts  gleefully  assented,  and  gave  free 
rein  to  her  pretty  tastes.  Flossy  Shipley  had 
been  wont  to  be  much  trammelled  with  the  ways 
in  which  "  they  "  did  everything  ;  but  Mrs.  Evan 
Roberts  was  learning  that,  in  unimportant  mat- 
ters at  least,  they  had  a  right  to  be  a  law  unto 
themselves.  Perhaps  it  helped  her,  to  be  aAvare 
that  a  large  class  of  people  were  all  ready  to 


106  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

quote  "Mrs.  Evan  Roberts"  as  authority  on 
almost  any  point  of  taste. 

On  the  evening  in  question  Mr.  Roberts,  in 
dressing-gown  and  slippers,  had  drawn  his 
lounging-chair  to  the  drop-light,  preparatory  to 
a  half-hour  of  reading  aloud.  But  it  transpired 
that  there  was  something  preparatory  to  that,  or 
at  least  that  must  take  the  precedence. >  Cer- 
tain business  telegrams  followed  him  home, 
■which  required  the  writing  of  two  or  three  busi- 
ness letters. 

^'  It  will  not  take  me  long,"  he  explained  to 
his  wife,  "  and  they  are  not  complicated  affairs, 
so  I  give  you  leave  to  talk  right  on  while  I  dis- 
patch them." 

She  laughed  at  this  hint  about  her  fondness 
for  talk,  but  presently  made  use  of  the  privilege. 

"Evan,  what  sort  of  a  young  man  do  you 
consider  Mr.  Ried  ?  " 

"Ried?  Who?  Oh,  my  clerk?  The  very 
best  sort ;  a  most  estimable  fellow,  —  one  of  a 
thousand.  By  the  way,  did  you  tell  him  how 
you  became  interested  in  that  sister  of  his  ?  " 

"Not  yet ;  I  want  to  get  better  acquainted. 
But,  Evan,  do  you  know  where  he  boards?  " 


"  What  a  Little  Schemer  it  is.''  107 

ILirdly ;  on  Third  Avenue  somewhere,  I  be- 
lieve ;  or  possibly  Second.  The  store  register 
would  show.     Do  you  want  his  address  ! "' 

"  Oh,  I  know  where  it  is ;  but  I  mean  what 
sort  of  a  place  is  it? " 

Mr.  Roberts  slightly  elevated  his  shapely 
shoulders. 

"  It  is  a  boarding-house,  where  many  clerks 
board  ;  that  tells  a  doleful  story  to  the  initiated, 
I  suspect.  Poor  fare  and  dismal  surroundings  ; 
still,  it  is  eminently  respectable." 

"  Where  does  he  spend  his  Sabbaths  ?  " 

The  rapidly-moving  pen  executed  nearly  two 
lines  of  handsome  writing  before  Mr.  Roberts 
was  ready  to  respond  to  this  question. 

"  Why,  at  church,  principally,  I  fancy.  He 
is  Tery  regular  in  his  attendance  at  morning 
service,  and  the  South  End  Mission  absorbs  his 
afternoons.  I  suppose  he  goes  to  church  in  the 
evening ;  but  s4nce  we  have  been  giving  our 
attention  to  that  evening  mission  I  have  not  seen 
him." 

"  Ah,  but,  Evan,  I  mean  the  rest  of  the  time  ; 
those  little  bits  of  Sabbath  time  that  are  sacred 
to  home.     The  twilight,  for  instance,  or  for  an 


108  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

hour  in  the  mornin!;.  Do  you  know  Avhat  sort 
of  a  })hice  he  has  for  those  times?" 

xvearly  three  more  lines  added  to  the  paper ; 
then  Mr.  Roberts  raised  his  head  :  — 

" No,  my  dear,  I  don't.  Now  that  jou  bring 
me  face  to  face  with  the  question,  it  seems  a 
surprising  thing  to  say  that  I  should  not  know 
"where  a  young  man  who  has  been  for  more 
than  a  year  in  our  employ  spends  his  choice 
bits  of  time,  but  I  don't." 

"  Then  I  want  to  tell  you  something  about  it. 
He  has  a  dingy,  fourth-story  back  room  ;  small, 
I  fancy,  from  the  way  in  which  he  spoke  of  it, 
and  not  a  speck  of  fire  ever  !  In  such  weather 
as  this,  how  can  a  young  man  read  his  Bible,  or 
even  pr.ay,  under  such  circumstances?" 

]\Ir.  Roberts  laid  down  his  pen  and  sat  erect, 
regarding  his  wife  with  a  thoughtful,  far-away 
air. 

"  Flossy,"  he  said  at  last,  "  it  is  an  immense 
question !  You  open  a  perfect  mine  of  anxiety 
and  doubt.  I  have  hovered  around  the  edges 
for  some  time,  but  have  generally  contrived  to 
shut  my  eyes  and  refuse  to  look  into  it,  be- 
cause I  was  afraid  of  what  I  might  see  ;  and  be- 


"  What  a  Liltle  Schemer  it  is.''         109 

c.iuse  I  did  not  know  whnt  to  do  with  my  knowl- 
edire.  I  have  not  been  the  Avorkinsr  member 
of  the  firm  very  long,  you  know,  and  my  spe- 
cial field,  until  lately,  has  been  the  other  side  of 
the  ocean ;  but  I  have  been  at  home  long  enough 
to  know  that  there  arc  several  hundred  young 
men  in  our  employ  who  are  away  from  their 
homes  ;  and  knowing,  as  I  do,  the  price  of  board 
in  respectable  houses,  and  knowing  the  salaries 
which  the  younger  ones  receive,  it  does  not  re- 
quire a  great  deal  of  penetration  to  discover 
that  they  must  have  rather  dreary  homes  here, 
to  put  it  mildly.  The  fact  is.  Flossy,  I  have  n't 
loanted  to  look  into  this  thing  very  closely, 
because  I  do  not  see  the  remedy.  Look  at  our 
house,  for  instance,  with  its  three  hundred 
clerks,  we  '11  say,  who  are  away  from  their 
friends ;  suppose  one-half,  or  even  one-third, 
of  them  arc  miserably  situated,  what  can  I 
do?" 

"  Arc  they  not  sufficiently  well  paid  to  have 
the  ordinary  comforts  of  life?" 

"Doubtful.  The  truth  is,  what  you  and  I 
call  the  ordinary  comforts  of  life  takes  a  good 
deal  of  money  ;  and  in  the  city,  rents  are  high, 


110  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Sj)eaJdngr 

and  the  hoarding-house  keepers  have  hard  strug- 
gles to  make  their  expenditures  meet  their  in- 
come, and  they  carry  economy  to  the  very  verge 
of  meanness, — some  of  them  fairly  over  the 
verge,  I  presume  ;  and  the  result  is  cheii})  food, 
badly  cooked, —  because  well-cooked  food  means 
high-priced  help,  —  and  cold  rooms  and  dreari- 
ness and  discomfort  everywhere.  Now  what  can 
be  done  about  it?  Then  our  house  is  only  one  of 
hundreds,  and  in  many  of  these  hundreds  they  era- 
ploy  more  help  and  give  less  wages  than  we  ;  in 
fact,  I  know  that  some  of  our  clerks  are  looked 
upon  with  envy  by  a  great  many  young  men. 
We  never  have  any  trouble  in  supplying  vacan- 
cies. People  swarm  around  us,  because  we 
have  the  reputation  of  being  liberal.  We  are 
not  liberal,  however ;  sometimes  I  am  inclined 
to  think  we  are  hardly  fair,  yet  there  is  nothing 
I  can  do.  I  am  a  junior  partner,  with  a  great  deal 
of  the  responsibility,  and  a  third  of  the  voting 
power,  and  I  can't  get  salaries  raised.  I've 
been  working  at  that  problem  at  intervals  for  a 
year,  and  have  accomplished  very  little.  Do 
you  wonder  that  I  keep  my  eyes  as  closely  shut 
as  I  can  ?  " 


^^What  a  Little  Schemer  it  is."         Ill 

His  wife's  face  wore  a  thoughtful,  not  to  say 
perplexed  look  ;  she  seemed  to  have  no  answer 
ready ;  and,  after  Avaiting  a  moment  for  it,  Mr. 
Roberts  bent  himself  a«:ain  to  the  task  of  ijet- 
ting  his  business  letters  answered.  Before  he 
had  written  one  more  line,  her  face  had  cleared. 
She  interrupted  him  :  — 

"  Evan,  when  you  talk  about  four  hundred 
clerks,  and  multiply  that  by  hundreds  of  houses 
and  more  hundreds  of  clerks,  I  cannot  follow 
you  at  all.  It  is  not  that  I  am  not  impressed 
with  the  number, —  I  am, —  it  appalls  me  ;  but  I 
don't  want  to  be  appalled  ;  I  want  to  be  helpful. 
Perhaps  just  now  there  is  nothing  that  I  can  do 
for  the  hundreds,  so  I  want  to  narrow  my 
thoughts  down  to  what,  possibly,  I  can  do. 
AVhat,  for  instance,  can  be  done  towards  getting 
a  good  young  man,  like  Alfred  Ried,  into  a 
place  that  will  be  just  a  little  bit  like  a  home  ; 
that  will  give  him  a  spot  where  he  can  study  his 
Bible  in  comfort,  and  invite  a  friend  with  whom 
he  Avants  to  pray,  or  whom  he  wants  to  reach 
and  help  in  any  way?  That  is  n't  a  large  prob- 
lem.    Can't  it  be  solved?" 

Her  husband  smiled. 

"  He  is  only  one  of  thousands,"  he  said. 


1 1 2  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking r 

"Yes,  1  know;  but  he  is  one  of  tliousaiuls. 
Since  Ave  cannot  reach  thousands,  shall  wo  fail 
to  reach  one?  Evan,  I  am  onl}''  one  of  thou- 
sands, but  how  would  you  argue  about  me  ?  " 

Mr.  Eoberts  laughed  again. 

"You  are  one  out  of  thousands  and  thou- 
sands !  "  he  said,  emphatically. 

A  line  more,  and  he  signed  the  firm  name  with 
an  unusually  fine  flourish. 

"  There  I  I  've  accomplished  one  letter.  What 
do  you  want  to  do.  Flossy?" 

"  I  want  Mr.  Ried  to  have  a  room  where  he 
can  invite  one  of  my  boys  occasionally,  and 
make  him  comfortable,  and  do  for  him  what  we 
cannot  with  our  rooms  ;  do  for  him  what  only  a 
young  man  can  do  for  a  3'oung  man.  I  don't 
clearly  know  what  I  want  further  than  that,  but 
I  see  that  one  thing  as  a  stepping-stone.  Re- 
member, I  want  all  your  thousands  to  have  just 
as  pleasant  rooms,  and  I  would  like  to  help  to 
bring  it  about,  but  I  don't  just  now  see  the 
way." 

"  Do  you  see  the  way  to  this  ?  " 

"  No,  but  doesn't  it  seem  as  though  we  ought 
to  be  able  to  accomj^lish  so  much  ?  " 


**  What  a  Little  Schemer  it  is."         113 

"It  does,  certainly.  What  is  your  desire, 
Floss}-^?  Do  you  ^vant  liim  to  have  a  room  in 
our  house  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"Ko,  that  M'ould  not  further  my  plan  for 
those  boys.  I  would  like  to  have  him  here,  and 
it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  him,  — at  least  I 
think  it  would ;  but  I  can  see  things  which  he 
could  accomplish  for  these  young  men,  set  by 
himself,  in  a  different  part  of  the  city.  Be- 
sides, Evan,  I  have  other  plans  for  our  rooms, 
entirely  different  ones,  and  some  of  them  I  am 
afraid  you  will  think  arc  very  strange." 

He  answered  the  doubt  with  a  smile  that  said 
he  had  no  fears  of  her  or  her  plans. 

"  What  a  little  schemer  it  is  !  "  he  said,  look- 
ing down  on  her  with  fond,  proud  eyes.  "Who 
would  have  imagined  that  she  could  plot,  and 
plot  so  mysteriously  ?  I  used  to  think  she  was 
a  very  open-hearted  woman." 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

"WHAT  WOULD  YOU  DO,  DEAR?" 

HE  joined  in  his  laugh  alheit,  there 
was  a  tender  look  in  her  eyes.  After 
a  moment,  she  said,  gently  :  — 

"  It  is  not  scheming,  Evan ;  I  am 
only  trying  to  set  about  the  work  for  which  I 
have  been  chosen.  I  '11  tell  you  how  it  all  came 
to  me.  I  was  reading  —  my  morning  reading, 
you  know  —  after  you  had  gone ;  taking  little 
dips  here  and  there  in  the  fashion  that  you 
think  is  so  unsystematic,  and  I  came  upon  this 
verse :  '  He  is  a  chosen  vessel  imto  me,'  you 
know,  about  Paul?  Well,  it  came  to  me  with  a 
sudden  sense  of  awe  and  beauty,  the  being 
chosen  of  God  to  do  a  great  work.  I  stopped 
reading  to  think  it  out ;  what  a  grand  moment 
it  must  have  been  to  Paul  when  he  realized  it. 
And  I  began  to  feel  almost  sorry  that  Ave  lived 
in  such  different  limes,  with  no  such  oppor- 
tunities I  I  stopped  right  in  the  midst  of  my 
114 


"  What  ivould  You  do.  Dear?''         115 

folly  to  remember  that  I  was  as  certainly  chosen 
of  God  as  ever  Paul  Avas ;  for  assuredly  I  did 
not  come  to  him  of  myself,  nor  begin  to  love 
him  of  myself,  and  therefore  he  must  indeed 
have  chosen  me  ;  and  I  Avohdered  whether  prob- 
ably each  Christian  had  not  a  work  to  do  as 
definite  as  Paul's  —  a  work  that  would  be  given 
to  no  other,  unless  indeed  the  chosen  one  failed. 
I  did  not  want  to  fail,  and  I  asked  God  not  to 
let  me.  Then,  of  course,  I  set  to  wondering 
what  my  work,  or  my  part  of  some  other  per- 
son's work,  could  be.  It  was  the  morning  after 
you  had  told  me  that  about  Ester  Ried.  You 
cannot  think  how  that  impressed  me.  I  could 
not  get  away  from  the  Avonderment  as  to  hoAv  her 
work  was  prospering,  and  whether  there  Avere 
chosen  ones  enough,  or  if  there  might  possi- 
bly be  a  little  place  for  me.  I  could  n't  settle 
anything,  and  finally  I  decided  to  look  at  Paul's 
Avork  a  little  Avhile.  Of  course,  it  was  not 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  duties  of  the 
great  apostle  had  anything  in  common  with  my 
bits  of  effort ;  still,  I  said,  the  directions  given 
him  may  help  me  a  little.  And  Evan,  Avhat  do 
you  think  was  the  first  thing  I  found  ?    Why, 


116  Ester  Ried  ' '  Yet  Speaking . " 

this  :  '  The  God  of  ouv  fathers  hath  chosen  thee, 
tliat  thou  sJicnldst  know  la's  icill.^  Surely,  so 
far,  the  tilings  for  "which  both  he  and  I  were 
chosen  were  parallel.  I  looked  further:  'And 
see  that  Just  One.'  That  was  the  very  next. 
AVas  not  I,  too,  chosen  for  that?  *  Thine  eyes 
shall  see  the  King  in  his  beauty.'  I  said  over 
the  beautiful  promise  to  assure  myself  that  it 
■was  true,  and  went  on  :  '  And  shouldst  hear  the 
voice  of  his  mouth.'  AVas  it  not  strange,  Evan? 
Certainly  I  shall  hear  my  King  speak,  often  and 
often,  Avhen  I  get  home.  Only  think  of  it ;  so 
far  Paul  was  not  ahead  of  me.  I  hurried  to 
find  another  reference  to  Paul's  work,  and  I 
found  this ;  let  me  read  it  to  you."  Her  bit  of 
dainty  sewing  was  suddenly  pushed  one  side, 
and  up  from  the  depths  of  the  rose-lined  work- 
basket  came  a  small,  plainly-bound  Bible,  much 
marked  ;  a  rapid  turning  of  the  leaves,  and  the 
eager  disciple  read  :  "  I  have  appeared  unto  thee 
for  this  purpose,  to  make  thee  a  minister  and  a 
witness,  both  of  these  things  which  thou  hast 
seen,  and  of  those  things  in  the  which  I  will 
appear  unto  thee."  Now,  Evan,  you  know 
the  veriest  child  can  be  a  witness  if  he  knows 


"  What  would  You  do ,  Bear ?"         117 

anything  about  the  facts  ;  find  I  do  certainly 
know  some  wonderful  things  about  Jesus  to 
^vhicll  I  could  Avitness ;  and  besides,  is  n't  it 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  be  will  appear  to  me 
every  day  with  things  for  me  to  witness  to? 
And  then  I  read  this  ;  Paul  sent  to  the  Gentiles, 
you  know,  but  for  what :  'To  open  their  eyes, 
and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light,  and 
from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they 
may  receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inheritance 
among  them  which. are  sanctified,  by  faith  that 
is  in  me.'  Evan,  was  there  ever  a  more  won- 
derful work  to  do  in  the  world  than  that?  And 
yet  I  cannot  tell  you  how  it  made  me  feel  to 
discover,  or  at  least  to  realize,  that  a  great  deal 
of  it  was  my  work  !  Of  course,  I  naturally  began 
to  ask  myself,  what  Gentile  Avas  there  for  me  to 
reach  ?  Whose  eyes  must  I  try  to  open  ?  Do 
you  know,  that  very  afternoon  I  met  Mr.  Ried, 
and  heard  of  those  boys  ?  They  interested  me 
from  the  first,  and  Avhat  he  told  me  about  his 
sister  increased  the  interest.  Then  Avhen  I  saw 
them  !  — Evan,  if  ever  boys  were  in  the  power 
of  Satan  they  are  ;  and  to  think  that  they  may 
have  an  inheritance  amonjr  them  which  are  sane- 


1 18  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

titied  !  This  morning  when  I  saw  where  some 
some  of  them  lived,  and  imagined  how  they 
lived,  I  felt  stunned  for  a  moment.  It  seemed 
to  me  impossible.  What  means  could  possibly 
be  found  of  sufficient  power  to  fit  them  for  such 
an  inheritance?  And  then  directly  came  the 
closing  words  of  the  commission :  '  Through 
faith  that  is  in  me.'  Evan,  God  will  save  them  ; 
and  I  think  "he  will  let  me  help." 

"Amen!"  said  Mr.  Roberts,  and  his  voice 
was  husky.  AVhen  his  wife  was  in  one  of  her 
exalted  moods  he  always  admired  her  with  a 
sort  of  reverence.  He  had  been  for  jg&ys  an 
earnest  worker.  He  carried  business  plans  and 
business  principles  into  the  work ;  he  studied 
cause  and  effect,  and  calculated  and  expected 
certain  results  to  follow  certain  causes,  like  a 
mathematical  problem  ;  not  that  he  by  any  means 
forgot  the  power  of  faith,  or  in  any  sense  at- 
tempted to  do  his  work  alone.  He  Avas  a  Chris- 
tian who  spent  much  time  on  his  knees ;  but 
little  Flossybrouglit  so  much  of  the  childlike, 
unquestioning  spirit  into  her  w'ork,  that  some- 
times he  stood  in  awe,  not  knowing  whether  he 
could  follow  her.     It  was  not  so  much  a  matbe- 


''What  would  Tou  do,  Dear 9''         119 

matical  problem  to  be  worked  out,  as  it  was  the 
faith  that  can  remove  mountains. 

"  As  a  little  child  relies 

On  a  strength  beyond  his  own : 

Knows  he  is  neitlier  strong  nor  wise, 

Fears  to  stir  a  step  alone " 

Mr.  Roberts  often  found  himself  quoting  these 
lines  when  his  wife  gave  him  glimpses  of  her 
heart ;  and  at  such  times  he  had  no  hesitancy  in 
deciding  that  the  steps  she  tooii  were  not  alone, 
but  the  Lord  was  with  her. 

The  postman's  ring  broke  in  on  their  quiet. 

"  I  hope  there  are  letters  from  home  to-night," 
Mrs.  Roberts  said;  "real  long  ones.  It  is  a 
week  since  we  have  heard." 

"  And  I  ought  to  hope  that  they  would  re- 
quire a  first  reading  in  private,"  her  husband 
answered,  as  he  seized  his  neglected  pen.  "  It 
is  the  only  way  in  which  these  business  letters 
will  get  answered.  I  find  the  temptation  to 
talk  to  you  irresistible," 

One  letter !  but  that  was  of  comfortable 
dimensions  and  weight. 

"  It  is  from  Marion,"  Mrs.  Roberts  said,  de- 
light in  her  voice,  after  the  first  glance  at  the 


120  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

familiar  writing.  She  was  presently  lost  in  its 
many  pages,  and  the  business  of  letter-writing 
went  on  uninterruptedly  for  some  time. 

Mrs.  Marion  Dennis  had  not  forijotten  her 
fondness  for  her  pretty  little  Flossy  :  nor  for- 
gotten that,  —  softly-innocent  little  creature 
though  she  was,  she  possessed  a  wisdom  far 
above  those  who  are  credited  with  having  keen 
insight ;  even  a  wisdom  so  subtle,  and  withal  so 
tender,  that  its  source  could  only  be  Infinite 
Wisdom.  So  she,  in  company  with  many 
others,  was  learning  to  turn  to  the  friend  so 
much  younger  than  herself,  as  one  in  whom  she 
could  safely  confide. 

"Dear  little  Flossy,"  so  the  letter  ran,  "I 
suppose,  though  you  should  live  to  be  a  white- 
haired  old  lady,  sitting  with  placid  face  and 
fluted  cap  and  spectacles,  in  your  high-backed 
arm-chair,  in  the  most  treasured  corner  mayhap 
of  some  granddaughter's  choicest  room,  I,  writ- 
ing to  you,  would  still  commence  '  Dear  little 
Flossy.'  That  I  have  to  cover  it  from  prying 
eyes  by  the  dignified  and  respectable  'Mrs. 
Evan  Roberts,'  is  almost  a  matter  of  amusement 
to  me.     I  fancy  I  can  see  you  making  a  journey 


''What  icoukl  You  do,  Bear?"         121 

through  some  of  the  Chautauqua  avenues,  pick- 
ing your  way  daintily  towards  Palestine,  bend- 
ing lovingly  over  the  small  white  stones  that 
mark  the  village  of  Bethany, — a  pink  on  your 
check,  born,  as  I  thought,  of  the  excitement  of 
being  among  those  tiny  photographs  of  the  won- 
derful past,  but  born  in  part,  I  now  believe,  of 
the  fact  that  Mr. Evan  Roberts  joined  us  in  our 
walk.    Oh,  little  mousie,  how  quiet  you  were  ! 

"Well,  many  things  have  since  transpired. 
We  are  old  married  women,  you,  and  Ruth,  and 
Eurie  and  I.  I  suppose  the  contrast  in  our 
lives,  —  the  outward  portion  of  them,  I  mean, 
—  is  still  as  strongly  marked,  perhaps  more  so, 
than  it  -was  when  Ave  were  in  Chautauqua  to- 
gether. We  were  girls  then ;  we  arc  matrons 
now,  and  Avith  the  taking  on  of  that  title,  Ruth 
and  I  took  special  and  great  responsibilities. 
To-night  it  rains.  Mr.  Dennis  has  been  called 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  city,  —  away  out  to 
Sprlngdale,  in  fact,  —  to  see  a  sick  and  dying 
man,  and  I  am  alone  and  almost  lonely.  If  I 
could  summon  any  one  of  the  three  to  my  aid 
and  comfort  I  Avould.  I  am  almost  as  lonely 
as  I  was  on  some  of  those  evenings  in  the  old 


122  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

boarding-house.  Still  there  are  differences ;  the 
smoky  old  stove  is  not ;  a  summer  warmth 
floats  through  the  house,  born  of  steam ;  no  ill- 
smelling  kerosene  lamp  offends  your  asthetic 
friend  to-night,  but  the  softest  of  shaded  drop- 
lights  sheds  a  halo  around  me.  Is  n't  that 
almost  poetic?  Moreover,  oh  blessed  thought ! 
I  have  no  examination  papers  to  prepare,  no 
reports  to  make  up ;  nothing  to  do  but  visit 
with  you.  Also,  I  will  admit  just  to  you,  that 
this  is  another  and  most  blessed  difference  be- 
tween this  and  my  lonely  past.  At  almost  any 
moment  now  I  may  hope  for  Dr.  Dennis'  ring, 
and  when  he  comes  all  sense  of  loneliness  will 
instantly  depart.  Ah !  Flossy,  dear  Flossy, 
this  is  such  a  difference  as  even  you  cannot 
appreciate  !  You  had  your  mother  and  father, 
and  all  your  dear  home  friends,  and  I  had  no 
one ;  and  besides,  —  here  I  hesitate,  lest  you 
may  be  too  obtuse  to  understand  the  reasoning, — 
you  have  only  added  Mr.  Roberts  to  your  circle 
of  treasures.  He  is  grand  and  good,  I  know, 
and  I  like  him  without  even  a  mental  reserva- 
tion ;  but,  my  dear,  I  have  added  Dr.  Dennis  I 
Can  human  language  say  more? 


"  What  would  You  do,  Dear?  "         123 

"Nonsense  aside,  sweet  little  woman,  God 
has  been  very  good  to  you  and  me.  Yet, 
Flossy,  do  you  remember  how,  during  those  last 
months  in  which  we  were  together,  I  fell  into 
the  habit  of  telling  j'^ou  a  great  deal  about  the 
thorns,  and  admitted  to  you  once  that  they 
pricked  less  when  they  had  felt  your  smoothing 
touch?  I  %vant  to  tell  you  something.  Our 
Gracie  —  I  am  so  sorry  for  her,  yet  I  don't 
know  what  to  do.  She  is  living  a  most  unhappy 
life,  and  of  course  she  shadows  our  lives  also. 
I  told  you,  dear,  about  Prof.  Ellis.  He  is  still 
trying  to  convince  poor  Gracie,  that  I,  being 
her  step-mother,  must  be  her  natural  enemy  ; 
reminding  her  that  before  I  came  into  the 
family  her  father  was  entirely  willins:  to  receive 
his  calls,  and  allowed  her  to  accept  his  atten- 
tions. Don't  you  see,  it  is  n't  strange  at  all  that 
the  poor  little  girl  should  believe  him,  and 
turn  from  me?  She  has  many  judicious 
helpers  in  her  fiither's  congregation.  There  are 
those  who  sigh  over  her  almost  in  my  hearing. 
*  Poor  Gracie  '  they  say,  '  how  changed  she  is  ! 
She  used  to  be  so  bright  and  happy.  There  \\i 
something    unnatural   in   these    second-mother 


124  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'" 

relations ;  all  high-spirited  children  rebel.' 
Imagine  such  talk  helping  Gracic  I  Meantime, 
what  do  you  suppose  can  be  Prof.  Ellis' 
motive?  I  cannot  think  that  he  cares  for  her; 
I  almost  do  not  believe  that  there  is  enough 
purity  left  in  him  even  to  admire  a  i)ure-hearted 
young  girl ;  certainly  not  one  with  such  high 
ideals  and  earnest  ambitions  as  Gracie  had. 
'  Wiiy  does  she  admire  him  ? '  I  fancy  I  hear 
3'ou  asking.  My  dear,  she  does  n't ;  she  thinks 
she  docs,  and  at  seventeen  such  thoughts  some- 
times work  irreparable  mischief;  but  left  alone, 
one  of  these  days  she  would  make  the  discovery 
that  she  w^is  flattered  by  his  attentions,  because 
he  is  nearly  fifteen  years  older  than  she,  and  is 
brilliant  in  conversation,^  and  qaoted  as  the 
finest  musician  in  the  city.  I  wish  I  knew 
more  things  about  him  ;  what  I  do  know  shows 
me  plainly  enough  the  sort  of  man  he  is ;  but 
Avith  these  guileless  young  things  it  seems  as 
though  one  had  to  unmask  wickedness  very 
thoroughly  before  they  will  believe  that  it  is 
anything  but  gossip  or  misrepresentation.  He 
bus  gone  away  for  a  six  weeks'  vacation ;  I 
don't  know  where,  nor  does  Dr.  Dennis.    Gracie 


''What  would  You  do,  Dear?"         125 

knows,  but  does  not  enlighten  me.  Flossy, 
dear,  could  you  give  me  a  little  wholesome 
advice,  do  you  think?  I  wonder,  sometimes, 
whether  I  was  not  too  complacent  over  my 
proposed  duties.  Such  schemes  as  I  had  I  I 
was  going  to  be  the  blessedest  step-mother  that 
girl  ever  had.  That  would  not  be  saying  much, 
possibly.  Don't  we  all  incline  to  think  that  the 
second  mothers  must  be  Avrong,  and  the  sons 
and  daughters  poor  abused  darlings?  But  I 
loved  Gracie,  you  know,  and  she  seemed  to 
love  me,  and  to  be  so  hap})y  over  the  thought 
of  our  near  relationship.  There  is  very  little 
hai)piness  from  any  such  source  during  these 
days.  Gracie  has  retired  into  dignity.  She 
can  be  the  most  dignified  young  woman  on 
occasion  that  I  ever  beheld.  She  is  not  rude  to 
me,  on  the  contrary  she  is  cerei^ionioush'-  polite  ; 
calls  me  Mi's.  Dennis,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing, 
when  necessity  compels  her  to  call  me  anything; 
but  she  speaks  as  little  as  possible ;  sits  at  table 
with  us  three  times  a  day,  when  she  cannot 
secure  an  excuse  for  absence  that  her  father 
will  accept ;  says  '  Yes,  sir,'  and  '  No,  sir,' 
obediently  to  him,  and  'No,  ma'am,  thank  you,* 


126  Ester  Jiied'' Yet  Speaking r 

to  me,  and  that  is  the  extent  of  our  conversation. 
Generally  her  face  is  pale  and  her  eyes  red,  and 
at  the  first  possible  moment  she  begs  to  be 
excused,  and  retires  to  the  privacy  of  her  own 
room  and  locks  her  door.  Her  father  has 
stopped  her  music  lessons ;  at  least  she  pre- 
ferred to  have  them  stopped  rather  than  take 
lessons  of  any  other  person,  so  she  practices  no 
more.  She  continues  her  German  and  French, 
and  secures  good  reports  from  the  professors, 
Tint  there  is  an  air  of  weariness  and  dreariness 
al)out  everything  she  does  that  makes  one 
alternate  between  a  feeling  of  deep  pity  for  her, 
and  a  desire  to  box  her  ears  or  shut  her  up  in  a 
corner  until  she  can  behave  herself.  As  a  rule, 
however,  I  am  sorry  for  her.  I  was  young 
once  myself,  I  was  undis(riplined,  I  had  no 
mother,  and  I  had  a  thousand  wild  fancies,  any 
one  of  which  miijht  have  ruined  me.  What  do 
you  think  3'ou  Avould  do,  dear,  if  Mr.  Rolxjrts 
had  a  daughter,  and  you  were  her  mother?  You 
are  all  in  a  flush,  now,  and  have  lain  down  this 
sheet  and  said  aloud  :  '  What  an  idea  !  Marion 
does  say  the  most  absurd  things  ! '  Well,  then, 
if  you  were  Marion  Dennis,  and  stood  before 


"  What  would  You  do,  Dear?"         127 

God  in  the  place  of  mother  to  Grace  Dennis, 
what  do  you  imagine  you  would  do?  I  '11  tell 
you  my  policy  ;  I  am  uniformly  cheerful  in  her 
presence  —  gay,  if  I  can  make  gayety  out  of 
anything ;  not  toward  her  father,  you  under- 
stand, because  I  can  fancy  that  might  irritate 
her.  I  really  try  to  be  gay  toward  Gracie 
herself;  but  can  you  imagine  an  attempt  to  be 
cheery  with  a  tombstone  ?  I  study  as  much  as 
I  can,  her  tastes,  in  the  ordering  of  dinner  and 
desserts,  and  arran2:e  the  flowers  that  I  know 
she  likes  best,  and  in  short  try  to  do  all  those 
little  bits  of  nice  things  that  I  feel  certain  you 
would  do  in  my  place ;  and  just  here  I  may  as 
well  own  that  I  learned  these  small  prettinesses, 
studying  you  ;  never  should  have  thought  them 
out  for  myself.  Flossy,  Dr.  Dennis  is  one  of 
the  most  patient  and  long-sufiering  of  men,  but 
is  is  very  hard  for  him  to  be  patient  Avith  poor 
Gracie  ;  harder  than  it  is  for  me  ;  first,  because 
I  know  by  personal  experience  just  what  u 
turbulent  young  creature  a  miss  of  seventeen  or 
eighteen  can  be,  and  secondly,  because  it  is 
upon  me  her  displeasure  falls  most  heavily,  and 
that  naturally  he  resents. 


128  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking." 

"  Whj^  am  I  writing  all  this  to  3-011  ?  I  don't 
laiow,  chiltlic,  really,  save  that  I  remember 
what  a  curious  way  you  have  of  telling  Jesus 
all  about  your  friends  and  their  trials,  and  I 
remember  with  great  comfort  that  }'ou  are  my 
friend.  Don't  imagine  me  as  miserable  ;  I  can 
never  be  that  so  long  as  Christ  is  the  present 
Helper  that  he  is  to  me  now  ;  and  you  do  not 
need  to  be  told  that  I  daily  thank  him  for  giving 
me  my  husl)and.  But  I  think  you  will  under- 
stand better  than  many  Avould  how  earnestly  I 
desire  to  fill  the  place  of  mother,  to  my  bright 
30iuig  motherless  Gracie,  with  her  dangerous 
beauty  and  her  dangerous  talents,  and  her 
capacity  for  being  miserable.  Oh,  I  want  to  do 
more  than  my  dut}^ ;  I  want  to  love  her  with  all 
my  heart,  and  to  have  her  love  me.  If  it  were 
not  for  that  man,  who  always  hated  me,  and 
who,  I  believe  in  my  heart,  has  sought  her  out 
and  is  pressing  his  attentions  upon  her  because 
he  sees  a  possibility  of  stinging  me  through 
her,  I  might  hope  to  fill  the  place  in  her  heart 
that  I  thought  I  could." 

The  letter  closed  abruptly  at  this  point,  and 
was  finished  a  few  days  afterwards  in  a  dilFerent 


''What  would  You  do,  Dear?"         129 

strain,  giving  plenty  of  home  news,  and  being 
full  of  the  brightness  which  always  sparkle<l  in 
Marion's  letters ;  but  it  was  the  first  two  or 
three  pages  to  which  ]\Irs.  Roberts  turned  back, 
and  which  she  thoughtfully  re-read.  Then  she 
interrupted  the  busy  pen  :  — 

"Evan,  are  not  the  business  letters  nearly 
done?  I  want  to  read  this  to  you,  and  then  I 
want  to  talk  to  you." 

"Delightful  prospects,  both  of  them,"  he 
said  with  energy,  as  he  added  the  last  hurried 
line,  signed  and  delivered  to  his  wife  to  enclose 
in  its  envelope,  then  pushed  aside  writing 
materials  and  sat  back  to  enjoy. 

"  It  is  n't  all  delightful,"  his  wife  said,  shak- 
ing her  head.  "  I  did  hope  that  poor  Marion  was 
going  to  have  a  few  years  of  rest.  Her  life  has 
been  such  a  hard  one." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

'TREIMENDOUS  FACTS!"  HE  S^VID. 

T  is  T\ell  that  Mrs.  Marion  Dennis  felt 
entirely  safe  in  her  friend  Flossy's 
hands,    for    her    affairs    were   very 
thoroughly  talked  over  that  evening, 
and  sundry  conclusions  arrived  at. 

One  question  Mrs.  Roberts  asked  her  husband, 
at  the  close  of  the  conference,  which  apparently 
had  nothing  to  do  with  Marion  Dennis'  affairs  :  — 
"Evan,  do  you  know  Dr.  Everett?" 
"Everett?  Let  me  think  —  yes,  I  know  of 
him;  a  young  physician,  comparatively,  who 
has  not  been  here  long,  and  has  made  his 
mark." 

"  In  what  direction  ?  " 

"  Several,  perhaps  ;  but  I  have  heard  of  him 
chief] 3'  in  the  line  of  his  profession.     He  Avas  ac- 
cidentally called  to  attend  a  young  lady  belong- 
ing to  a  very  wealthy  family  out  in  Brookline. 
130 


"  Tremendous  Facts! '^  he  said.         131 

I  Gay  nccidentally  —  Hint  is  a  reverent  way  we 
have  of  speaking,  you  know ;  of  course,  I  mean 
l->rovidentiaIly.  The  nursery  governess  in  llie 
family  was  sick,  and  this  Dr.  Everett,  avIio  had 
fallen  in  with  her  somewhere,  volunteered  to 
cure  her.  He  was  callina"  on  her  one  morninof 
when  the  sick  daughter,  who,  by  the  way,  Iiad 
been  given  up  by  her  physician,  Avas  taken 
suddenly  and  alarmingly  worse ;  in  the  emerg- 
ency Dr.  Everett  Avas  summoned,  and  while 
they  waited  for  the  regular  physician  he  suc- 
ceeded in  doing  such  good  service  that  ho  in- 
spired the  mother  with  confidence ;  she  became 
anxious  to  put  the  case  entirely  into  his  hands, 
which  was  done,  and  the  young  lady  recovered, 
and  Dr.  Everett's  position,  professionally,  vras 
assured.  Is  n't  that  an  interesting-  little  item 
for  you?  He  is  said  to  have  marked  success; 
and,  of  course,  since  the  Brooklinc  occurrence 
his  practice  is  largely  among  the  wealth3^  How 
has  your  attention  been  called  to  him?  " 

"]My  protector  this  morning  said  lie  was  a 
'swell'  doctor,  Avho  was  attending  that  Calkins 
boy.  I  wondered  if  he  did  it  because  he  loved 
Christ.     He  might  be  a  helper.      I  want  to  call 


132  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

on  that  sick  boy  to-morron'  if  I  can  arrange  it. 
I  think  I  must  take  some  one  with  me." 

"You  may  take  me  Avith  you,"  her  husband 
said,  emphatically. 

However  much  trips  through  alleys  with 
Kimble  Dick  might  be  conducive  to  that  young 
man's* moral  development,  IMr.  Roberts  felt  that 
bis  wife  had  experimented  sufficiently. 

Thus  it  transpired  that,  dressed  in  the  plainest, 
quietest  garb  which  her  Avardrobe  woidd  furnish, 
Mrs.  Roberts  went  to  the  alley  the  next  morn- 
ing accompanied  by  her  husband. 

In  one  sense  it  was  a  mistake  that  the  first 
call  in  the  alley  should  have  been  made  on  the 
Calkins  family.  It  was  calculated  to  give  Mrs. 
Roberts  mistaken  ideas  as  to  the  manner  in 
W'hich  poor  people  lived.  A  bare  enough  room, 
certainly,  not  even  a  bit  of  carpet  laid  before 
the  bed,  but  it  was  a  clean  room.  Floor  and 
window  and  cupboard-door  were  as  clean  as 
water  could  make  them  ;  and  the  bed,  while  it 
looked  hopelessly  hard  and  dreadful  to  Mrs. 
Roberts,  was  really  a  pattern  of  neatness  and 
purity  to  every  dweller  in  that  attic.  There 
was  a  straw  tick,  covered  with  a  dark   calico 


** Tremendous  Facts!'"  lie  said.         133 

spread,  which  did  duty  as  a  sheet,  and  the  boy 
who  lay  on  it  was  covered  by  a  patched  quilt 
that  had  been  mended,  and  was  clean.  Wonder- 
ful things  these  to  say  of  such  a  locality  !  IMr. 
Roberts  suspected  it,  and  Dr.  Everett  knew  it. 
That  gentleman  was  bending  over  his  patient 
when  the  two  guests  arrived,  and  vouchsafed 
them  not  even  a  glance,  while  the  dark-haired, 
dark-e3'ed,  homely,  decently-dressed  girl  gave 
Mrs.  Roberts  a  seat  on  the  one  chair  which  the 
room  contained,  and  set  a  stool  for  her  husband 
that  had  been  made  of  four  old  chair  legs  and  a 
square  board. 

Sallie  Calkins  was  somewhat  flurried  by  this 
unexpected  call.  She  had  no  idea  who  the 
people  were,  nor  for  Svhat  tliey  had  come.  A 
vague  fear  that  they  might  be  in  some  way 
connected  with  her  brother's  "place"  at  the 
printing-oflBce,  which  he  was  in  such  fear  of 
losino-  that  his  niojht  had  been  a  restless  one, 
made  her  hasten  to  say,  in  a  tremulous  voice  ;  — 

"  The  doctor  thinks  he  will  be  Avell  in  a  little 
while.  It  is  n't  a  bad  break,  he  says,  and  Mark 
wants  to  keep  his  place.  He  thinks,  maybe, 
some  of  the  idley  boys  would  keep  it  for  him, 
if  you  would  be  so  kind." 


134  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Spealcingr 

She  •u'as  evidently  addressing  Mr.  Roberts, 
but  she  looked  at  Flossy.  The  fair,  sweet  face, 
tli;it  gave  her  such  sympathetic  glances,  seemed 
the  one  to  appeal  to.  Mr.  Roberts,  however, 
discerned  that  ho  was  mistaken  for  the  em[)l()yer, 
and  immediately  dispelled  the  idea  by  asking 
where  the  boy  worked,  and  how  the  accident 
had  happened. 

"  It  was  the  elevator,  sir,"  she  said,  eagerly. 
"The  chain  broke,  and  it  went  down  with  a 
bang,  and  Mark  was  on  it,  and  he  rolled  off 
somehow,  he  does  n't  know  how ;  and  he  has 
been  that  bad  that  he  could  n't  tell  me  if  he  had. 
He  was  kind  of  wild,  sir,  all  night,  and  talking 
about  his  place." 

"  Was  there  no  one  but  you  to  be  with  him 
during  the  night  ?  "  Isivs.  Roberts  asked.  "  Where 
is  the  mother  ?  " 

"  We  've  got  no  mother,  ma'am  ;  there  is  only 
Mark  and  me — and  father,"  she  added,  after  a 
doubtful  pause.  "But  father  was  not  at  home 
last  night.  Oh,  I  didn't  need  no  one  to  take 
care  of  jMark.     I  would  n't  h;ivc  left  him." 

"And  he  likes  to  have  you  take  care  of  him,  I 
am  sure.     What  do  you  give  him  to  eat?    He 


"  Tremendous  Facts!  "  lie  said.         135 

•will  need  nourishing  food,  I  thjnk ;  beef  teas  and 
broths,  and  nice  little  tempting  dishes  made  Avith 
milk,  perhaps.  Are  you  his  cook,  too?  I 
wonder  if  you  would  n't  like  to  have  me  show 
you  how  to  make  good  things  for  him?  I've 
learned  how  to  make  some  nice  dishes  that  sick 
people  like." 

Before  the  bewildered  girl  could  answer,  the 
doctor  turned  abruptly  from  his  long  examina- 
tion of  his  patient,  and  gave  the  guests  the  first 
attention  he  had  vouchsafed  them.  The  truth 
was  this  man  had  had  some  unfortunate  ex- 
periences with  district  visitors,  and  had  perhaps 
an  unreasonable  prejudice  against  them  as  a 
class.  "I  can't  help  it,  ma'am,"  he  said  to 
Mrs.  Saunders,  when  she  was  taking  him  to 
task  one  day.  "  There  are  exceptions,  of  course, 
at  least  we  will  hope  there  are  ;  but  if  you  had 
seen  some  of  my  specimens,  you  would  be  the 
first  to  wish  an  infusion  of  common  sense  could 
be  introduced  among  them.  As  a  rule,  they 
ofier  a  tract  where  they  should  give  a  loaf  of 
bread  or  a  bowl  of  broth  ;  and  wedge  their  ad- 
vice and  reproofs  in  with  every  helpful  movement, 
it  is  like  so  many  doses  of  medicine  to  the 


136  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Sj)eaJcmg.'* 

patient ;  to  be  endured  because  he  is  at  their 
mercy,  and  can't  help  himself.  They  mean 
•well,  the  most  of  them ;  but  the  trouble  is,  we 
have  a  way  of  making  district  visitors  out  of 
people  who  have  nothing  to  do,  and  who  have 
never  learned  that  '  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
•were  made  of  one  blood.'  " 

Something  in  Mrs.  Roberts'  tones  or  words 
seemed  to  interest  him,  and  he  turned  toward 
her. 

"Does  this  alley  belong  to  you?"  he  asked, 
abruptly,  his  mind  still  full  of  the  district  visitor. 

She  regarded  him  "with  a  puzzled  air  for  a 
moment,  then  answered  naively  :  — 

"  I  don't  think  it  does  ;  if  it  did  I  would  have 
some  thinijs  ever  so  different." 

Dr.  Everett  laughed ;  and  Mr.  Roberts  came 
forward  and  introduced  himself. 

"  My  wife  has  hardly  answered  you  fully,"  he 
said.  "  I  am  under  the  impression  that  she 
desires  to  adopt  a  certain  portion  of  this  alley ; 
at  least  I  have  heard  of  little  else  since  last 
Sabbath  afternoon.  She  is  in  search  of  some 
stray  sheep  who  have  been  put  under  her  care." 

"  Ah,"  the  doctor  said,  turning  quickly  to  her, 


"  Tremendous  Facts!''  he  said.         137 

"a  Sabbiith-school  teacher?  Is  this  young  anin 
one  of  your  scholars  ?  " 

"  No,"  she  explained ;  "  but  she  had  heard  of 
him  -while  inquiring  where  one  of  her  boys 
lived,  and  she  had  called  to  see  if  she  could 
help  in  any  -way.  Dirk  Colson  was  the  boy 
who,  they  told  her,  lived  near  this  place." 

The  eyes  of  the  trim  sister  brightened. 

"  He  lives  on  the  next  square,"  she  said. 
"Oh,  ma'am,  are  you  his  teacher,  and  do  you 
care  for  him?     I'm  so  glad." 

"He  is  a  favorite  of  yours,  is  he?"  the  doctor 
asked,  looking  from  one  speaking  fjice  to  an- 
other, and  seeming  immensely  interested  in  the 
matter. 

"  No,  indeed  !  "  the  girl  said,  quickly.  "  He 's 
horrid  !  But  I  'm  sorry  for  his  sister  ;  and  she 
wants  Dirk  to  get  on,  and  he  never  does  get  on  ; 
but  I  thought  maybe  such  a  kind  of  a  teacher 
could  help  him." 

There  was  such  intense  and  genuine  admira- 
tion in  the  girl's  voice  for  the  vision  of  loveliness 
before  her  that  Dr.  Everett  could  not  help 
smiling. 

"  It   does  n't   seem   unlikely,"   said  he,  with 


138  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

significance ;  and  added :  "  Who  is  this  Dirk 
Colson,-\vho  seems  to  be  an  object  of  interest?" 
"  He  is  one  of  the  worst  boys  in  the  alley, 
sir;  sometimes  I  think  he  is  the  very  Avorst, 
because  he  is  cross  as  well  as  hateful ;  but  Mark 
is  always  kind  of  sorry  for  him,  and  says  he  has 

« 

such  a  bad  father  he  can't  help  it.  And  ^lart 
—  that's  his  sister- — she  is  a  friend  of  mine, 
and  she  feels  bad  about  Dirk,  but  she  can't  do 
nothing;  he  ain't  a  bit  like  Mark  there." 

The  last  Avords  were  spoken  tenderh^  and  the 
sisterly  eyes  turned  toward  the  boy  on  the  bed, 
and  obeying  a  sign  from  his  eyes  she  went 
over  to  him.     The  doctor  plied  his  questions  :  — 

"Have  you  recently  taken  a  class,  madam? 
and  is  their  general  reputation  as  encouraging  as 
this  special  scamp  of  whom  we  are  hearing?" 

His  words  almost  jarred  on  Mrs.  Roberts  ;  she 
had  alread}'  pra3'ed  enough  for  her  boys  to  have 
a  sort  of  tender  feeling  for  them  —  a  half  desire 
to  cover  their  faults  from  the  gaze  of  the  in- 
different world.  Did  Dr.  Everett  represent  the 
indifferent  world,  or  did  he  love  her  Master? 
She  wished  she  knew. 

"  There  is  nothing  encouraging  about  them," 


^^ Tremendous  Fads!"  lie  said.         139 

she  said,  with  grave  earnestness,  "save  the  facts 
that  they  are  made  in  the  inias^e  of  God,  and 
that  he  wants  them  to  '  turn  from  the  power  of 
Satan  nnto  God,  that  they  may  receive  fora-ive- 
ncss  of  sins,  and  an  inheritance  among  them 
which  are  sanctified.' " 

A  rare  flash  of  intelligence  and  appreciation 
greeted  her 'now  from  those  fine  eyes  bent  so 
scrutinizingly  on  her. 

"Tremendous  facts!"  he  said.  "Glorious 
possibilities  !  'Himself  hath  said  it.'  I  claim 
kinship  with  you ;  I  am  an  heir  of  the  samo 
inheritance." 

He  held  a  hand  to  each,  and  they  were 
cordially  grasped.  Then  Dr.  Everett  proceeded 
to  business. 

"There  is  enough  to  do,"  he  said ;  "every- 
thing is  lacking  here ;  there  is  severe  poverty, 
united  to  the  most  scrupulous  tenderness  and 
the  most  tender  love  on  the  part  of  this  brother 
and  sister.  I  stumbled  on  the  case,  and  Avill  do 
professionally  all  that  is  needed.  And  I  have 
a  friend  who  would  undoubtedly  come  to  the 
rescue,  but  she  is  crowded  just  now.  I  fhall 
be  rejoiced  to  report  to  her  a  helper.      Do  you 


140  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Sj^eaking:' 

know  Joy  Saunders?  Well,  I  wish  you  did; 
she  is  on.c  whom  you  could  appreciate.  She  is 
young,  though,  and  without  a  husband  to  guard 
her,  and  there  are  some  places  to  which  she 
cannot  come." 

"  Has  she  learned  that  important  fact  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Roberts,  with  a  significant  smile.  Then 
some  explanation  seemed  necessary.  "  This 
lady,"  he  said,  "  tried  the  alley  alone  3'ester- 
day,  and  lost  her  wa}',  and  went  lower  down, — 
quite  near  to  Burk  Street,  I  imagine." 

"And  what  happened?"  The  quick  ques- 
tion and  the  doctor's  tone  suggested  possibilities 
not  pleasant. 

"  Oh,  she  met  one  of  her  new  recruits,  —  as 
hard  a  boy,  so  one  of  the  policemen  on  tiiis  beat 
tells  me,  as  there  is  in  the  row,  —  and  pressed 
him  into  service  to  escort  her  back  to  civiliza- 
tion ;  and  strange  to  say,  the  fellow  did  it  with- 
out playing  any  tricks." 

The  doctor  turned  on  the  small  lady  a  curi- 
ous glance. 

*'  I  think  you  may  be  able  to  do  something, 
even  for  Dirk  Colson,"  he  said. 

"  Do  you  know  him  ?  " 


*'  Tremendous  Facts!"  he  said.         141 

He  laughed  over  the  eagerness  of  the  ques- 
tion. 

"  Never  heard  of  him  before.  I  was  only 
thinking  of  our  friend's  description  of  his  awful- 
ness.     Ah,  whom  have  Ave  iiere?  " 

For  the  door  had  opened  abruptly,  and  a  pair 
of  great  bUie  eyes,  set  in  a  frame  of  tawny 
hair,  all  in  a  frizzle,  had  peered  in  on  them. 
The  vision  was  clothed  in  garments  so  torn  the 
■wonder  was  that  they  stayed  on  at  all,  and  there 
■was  a  general  look  of  abject  poverty  about  her 
to  which  Sallie  Calkins,  with  all  the  bareness  of 
her  lot,  was  a  stranger.  She  stood  for  just  a 
moment,  as  if  transfixed  by  astonishment  at  the 
unwonted  sight  in  the  room,  then  turned  and 
sped  away  as  swiftly  and  silently  as  she  had 
come. 

"  That  is  Dirk's  sister,"  Sallie  Calkins  said, 
coming  forward,  her  homely  face  aglow  with 
shame.  '"'  She  is  n't  a  bad  girl,  ma'am,  she 
doesn't  mean  to  be,  but  she  has  a  dreadful 
time.  Her  mother  is  sickly,  and  has  to  go  out 
■washing,  times  "svhen  she  is  n't  able  to  sit  up ; 
and  there  '11  be  days  when  she  can't  hold  up  licr 
head ;  and  the  father  is  bad,  ma'am,  and  drinks, 


142  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  S^saking," 

and  swears,  and  sells  things  for  drink  till  there 
ain't  nothing  left  to  sell ;  and  Mart  has  n't  any- 
thing to  mend  her  clothes  with,  and  she  does  n't 
know  how,  any  way  ;  and  she  hasn't  even  got  a 
comb  to  comb  her  hair  with,  her  father  he  took 
it  to  sell ;  and  everything  there  is  horrid,  and 
Dirk,  he's  awful." 

It  was  stran2:e,  she  could  not  herself  account 
for  it ;  but  with  every  added  word  of  misery 
that  set  poor  Dirk  Colson  lo^ver  and  lower  in 
the  scale  of  humanity,  there  seemed  to  come  into 
this  woman's  heart,  and  shine  in  her  face,  an 
assurance  that  he  was  to  be  a  "  chosen  vessel 
unto  God." 

The  doctor  was  watching  her  again,  curious, 
apparently,  to  see  how  this  pitiful  appeal  for 
forbearance  in  judging  of  poor  Mart  affected 
her,  and  something  in  his  face  made  her  say, 
speaking  low,  "  an  inheritance  among  them  which 
arc  sanctified." 

"  Amen  !  "  he  said.  And  there  came  to  Mrs. 
Roberts  a  feeling  that  thi^i  earnest  prayer,  for 
llie  second  time  repeated  by  two  men  who 
prayed,  waf3  a  sort  of  sc:il  from  the  Master. 

She  turned  away  from  both  gentlemen  then  ; 


"  Tremendous  Facts!"  he  said.         143 

the  tears  were  very  near  the  surface.  She  must 
do  something  to  tone  clown  the  beating  of  her 
heart.  Sallie  was  at  hand,  and  she  went  with 
her  to  another  corner  of  the  room,  and  a  low- 
toned  conversation  was  carried  on,  scraps  of 
which  floated  back  to  the  gentlemen  in  the  form 
of  ''■  sheets,"  "grape  jelly,"  "  mutton  broth,"  "  a 
soft  pillow,"  and  the  like. 

"  I  feel  my  patient  growing  better,"  the  doc- 
tor said,  with  satisfaction. 

"  Is  there  no  father  here  ? "  Ur.  Roberts 
asked. 

The  doctor  shook  his  head,  but  answered  :  — 

"  There  is  the  most  pitiful  apology  for  a 
fatlier  that  I  ever  saw,  —  a  mere  Avreck  of  a 
man  !  Spends  his  time  in  a  sort  of  weak  drink- 
ing, if  I  may  coin  a  phrase  to  describe  him  ;  he 
actually  uses  no  energy  even  in  that  business. 
Just  stag-gers  around  and  bemoans  his  lot ;  a 
most  unfortunate  man,  in  his  own  estimation, 
with  whom  the  world,  through  no  fault  of  his, 
has  gone  wrong.  lie  is  never  downright  in- 
toxicated, and  never  free  from  the  effects  of 
liquor.  He  is  much  like  a  wilted  leaf  in  the 
hands  of  this  boy  and  girl.     They  could  pitch 


1  U  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaUnjr 

him  out  of  the  -svindow  -svithoiit  much  diffi- 
culty, and  if  the  full  did  not  kill  him  he  ■would 
shed  tears  and  say  it  was  a  hard  Avorld.  But 
now,  v/hat  do  we  see,  when  the  name  of  father 
is  so  dishonored, —  made  a  wreck,  as  it  were? 
Why,  the  order  of  nature  is  reversed,  and  these 
children  take  on  the  protective.  They  are 
father  and  mother,  and  he  is  the  weak,  sinning 
child.  The  way  that  that  boy  and  girl  have 
worked  to  keep  their  miserable  father  from 
starvinEf  or  freezinsr  is  somethinsf  to  astonish 
the  very  angels.  Tlie}^  shield  him,  too ;  no- 
body who  wants  to  reach  their  hearts  must  blame 
him.  They  are  a  study  !  —  as  different  from  the 
other  inhabitants  of  the  alley  as  the  sky  is  dif- 
ferent from  tliat  mud-hole  down  there.  It  is  n't 
a  good  simile,  either.  There  is  no  religion  in 
their  efforts.     They  are  the  veriest  heathen." 

"  How  do  you  account  for  the  development  ?  " 

The  doctor  shook  his  head :  — 

"  I  don't  account  for  it ;  it  is  abnormal.  There 
must  have  been  a  mother  who  left  her  impress. 
I  can't  learn  anything  about  the  mother — she 
died  when  the  girl  was  an  infant ;  but  I  would 
like  to  know  her  history.      I  venture  to  assert 


"  Tremendous  Facts  !  "  he  said.         145 

that  she  belonged  to  Christ,  and  that  a  gleam  of 
the  divine  pity  that  she  saw  in  him,  and  loved, 
left  its  impress  on  her  children.  That  is  some- 
what mystical,"  he  added,  smiling.  "  I  rarely 
talk  in  this  way ;  it  must  have  been  your  wife 
who  set  me  off.'' 

"  But  she  is  the  most  practical  and  energetic 
of  beinjjs !  " 

''Ay,  so  are  the  angels,  I  fancy  ;  and  make 
us  think  of  heaven  directly  we  hear  the  rustle 
of  their  wings.  Has  your  wife  been  a  Christian 
long?" 

"  Barely  two  years  since  she  began  to  thiflk 
of  these  thinsrs." 

"  I  thought  as  much.  She  impresses  me  as 
one  who  is  being  led ;  who  does  not  choose  to 
go  alone  ;  has  not  learaed  how,  indeed.  A  very 
few  Christians  never  learn  how,  and  with  them 
the  Lord  does  his  special  work.  Well,  sir;  I 
must  go.  I  'm  glad  to  have  met  you,  and  glad 
to  leave  you  here.     Good  morning  !  " 


CHAPTER  X. 

"AND  SHE  ALWAYS  TRIED." 

THER  business  was  transacted  that 
raornino:  which  brouafht  results.  A 
curious  habit  of  Mrs.  Roberts',  —  one 
which,  perhaps,  most  strongly  marked 
the  difference  between  her  ways  of  working  and 
those  of  other  people,  —  was  that  of  appealing 
to  the  person  at  hand  for  information  on  any 
subject  which  chanced  to  be  the  one  prominent 
in  her  mind  at  the  time. 

AVhere  other  and  more  systematic  persons 
would  have  said,  '*  He  is  not  the  one  to  ask 
about  this  matter !  there  is  no  reason  for  sup- 
posing that  he  has  any  knowledge  in  this  direc- 
tion!  "  Airs.  Roberts  would  say:  "I  cannot  ])c 
sure  that  he  may  not  be  able  to  give  just  the 
information  which  I  need.  In  any  case,  what 
harm  will  it  do  to  try?"  And  she  always 
tried. 

146 


''And  She  alivays  Tried."*  147 

It  was  on  this  principle  that  she  arrested  Dr. 
Everett's  speedy  departure  with  a  question  :  — 

"Dr.  Everett,  are  j-ou  familiar  witli  board- 
ing-houses for  young  men  ?  " 

Something  like  a  vision  swept  instantly  before 
the  doctor,  in  which  he  saw  the  long  line  of 
young  men,  and  the  long  line  of  boarding- 
houses,  in  the  world,  and  he  laughed  with  eyes 
and  lips,  the  question  seemed  so  queerly  put. 

"  With  how  many  of  them,  madam  ?  "  There 
was  amusement  in  his  voice,  but  there  was  also 
curiosity,  —  he  wanted  to  know  what  this  orig- 
inal little  lady  was  in  search  of. 

"  One  would  do,  if  it  were  of  just  the  right 
stamp.  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  Avant,  —  a  nice, 
quiet,  comfortable  home  sort  of  place,  with  a 
small  room,  capable  of  being  Avarmed,  a  single 
bedstead,  with  a  passably  good  bed,  and  a 
moderate  rate  of  board.  Are  not  those  modest 
enough  requirements  ?  " 

"Not  at  all!  They  are  preposterous!  A 
boarding-house  to  which  one  could  conveniently 
apply  the  Avord  'home! '  Fire  in  a  young  man's 
room  !  lie  is  expected  to  enjoy  freezing  in  a 
city ;    and  if   he  come  from   the   country,   he 


148  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking ^ 

should  be  gi'ateful  for  the  privilege !  But  the 
idea  of  calling  for  a  good  bed  !  That  is  the 
wildest  suggestion  of  all !  Has  she  €ver 
boarded,  Mr.  Roberts?" 

"  Xot  at  a  boarding-house,  at  least,"  said  that 
gentleman,  enjoying  the  fun. 

But  Mrs.  Robeils  looked  grave. 

**  Are  you  serious?"  she  asked,  gently.  "  Is 
there  no  chance  in  this  great  city  for  a  Christian 
young  man  to  have  the  ordinary  comforts  of 
common  life ;  just  a  little  quiet  room  where 
he  can  pray,  and  where  he  can  invite  some 
tempted  soul,  and  try  to  help  him?  Doesn't 
it  seem  all  wrong  ?  " 

The  laugh  was  gone  from  the  doctor's  face. 
There  was  a  look  of  keen  interest  and  genuine 
respect. 

"  How  many^  J'^oung  men  are  you  thinl^ing 
about?  There  are  many  Christians,  I  believe, 
among  that  class,  —  poor  young  men,  away 
from  home,  —  and  I  have  reason  to  fear  that 
their  chances  for  comfortable  retirement  are 
yQvy  scarce.  I  have  thought  about  the  problem 
somewhat  how  to  help  them.  In  the  concrete, 
I  don't  see  the  way.  Of  bow  many  are  you 
thinkinof?" 


"And  She  always  Tried r  149 

*'  I  am  willing  to  think  about  them  all,"  Mrs. 
Roberts  said,  —  and  now  it  was  hsr  turn  to 
laugh, — "  but  I  am  planning  for  just  one.  I  can- 
not work  in  great  ways,  but  I  thought  I  might 
help  one." 

"  Exactly  !  Mr.  Roberts,  if  every  Christian 
in  our  city  would  undertake  to  help  owe,  the 
problem  would  be  solved.  Well,  there  is  one 
boarding-house  to  which  the  word  '  home '  may 
properly  l>e  applied ;  and  there  is  one  small 
room  on  the  third  floor  vacated  yesterday.  I 
wonder  if  the  Master  wants  it  for  your  young 
man?  It  seems  to  me  if  there  is  any  one  thing 
more  than  another  that  we  need  in  that  house 
just  now  it  is  a  Christian  young  man.  Of  what 
type  is  your  friend?  Will  he  help  or  hinder 
a  gay  young  scamp  much  sought  after  by 
Satan  ? '' 

"  He  will  try  hard  to  help,"  said  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Roberts.  And  before  they  parted  the 
doctor  had  taken  Mr.  Ried's  address,  and  prom- 
ised to  call  on  him  and  negotiate  the  matter. 

"  That  plan  will  work  in  two  ways,"  said  Mrs. 
Roberts,  gleefully.  "  Mr.  Ried  w  ill  be  in  the 
same    homo   with,    and    somewhat   under    the 


150  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

influence  of  that  gnind  doctor.  Isn't  it  splen- 
did tlitit  Avc  asked  just  him?" 

And  her  husband  sniilins^iy  assented,  and 
added  that  he  should  not  have  thought  of  such 
a  thing  as  asking  him. 

On  her  way  down  toAvn,  ]\Irs.  Roberts  had 
dropped  a  letter  in  the  mail,  Avhich  also  brought 
results.     It  read  thus  :  — 

"  Deau  Makiox,  —  I  have  time  for  but  a  lino,  for  I 
want  to  catch  the  morning  mail.  I  have  such  a  nice 
plan.  Suppose  von  let  your  Gracie  come  and  stay  with 
mo  for  a  few  weeks.  You  know  she  always  liked  me  a 
little,  and  Ev.anand  I  think  we  can  make  it  pleasant  for 
her.  T  will  try  to  g(;t  her  so  much  interested  in  seven 
boys  whom  I  know  that  she  will  forget  all  about 
Professor  Ellis.  'Mv.  Barnwell  a  conlidential  clerk  in  the 
store  (old  and  gra3'-headod),  will  go  to-morrow  to  trans- 
act some  business  with  papa.  Evan  will  give  him  a 
letter  of  introduction  to  Dr.  Dennis.  He  expects  to 
return  on  Saturday-,  and  if  you  will  trust  Gracie  to  us, 
and  she  is  willing  to  come,  she  might  travel  in  ^Ir. 
Barnweirs  care,  and  we  would  meet  her  at  the  depot. 
Dear  IMarion,  we  should  like  it  ever  so  much;  and  I  have 
prayed  about  it  all  the  morning,  and  cannot  help  thinking 
that  Jesus  likes  it  too." 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Avhen  Mrs.  Roberts 
took  her  seat  on  the  next  Sabbath  afternoon 
before  her  seven  boys  at  the  South  End  Mission, 
a  vision  of  loveliness,  such  as  the  mission  had  not 


"And  She  always  Tried:'  151 

often  seen,  came  in  with  her,  and  looked  with 
wide-open  eyes  on  all  the  new  and  strange 
sights  and  sounds  about  her.  A  very  pretty 
creature  was  Gracie  Dennis.  .Pier  eyes  had 
lost  none  of  their  brightness,  although  they 
had  shed  some  tears  during  her  recent  experi- 
ences. They  were  fairly  sparkling  to-day,  for 
the  great  city  into  which  she  had  come  for  the 
first  time  was  like  fairyland  to  her ;  albeit,  she 
had  passed  through  scenes  that  afternoon  which 
bore  no  resemljlancc  to  her  idea  of  fairyland. 
What  the  boys  thought  of  her  could  only  be 
determined  from  their  stares.  Let  us  hope  that 
her  presence  had  nothing  to  do  with  their 
conduct,  for  never,  in  all  the  annals  of  the 
South  End  Mission,  had  seven  boys  comported 
themselves  as  did  those  before  whom  Mrs. 
Roberts  s;it  that  winter  afternoon, 

Nimble  Dick,  as  if  to  be  revenged  for  his 
unintentional  courtesy  of  the  Monday  before, 
placed  his  ill-kept  feet  on  the  seat  in  front  of 
him,  in  alarming  proximity  to  JMrs.  Roberts' 
shoulders,  and  chewed  his  tobacco,  and  defiled 
the  floor  with  its  juice,  and  talked  aloud,  and 
was  iu  every  sense  disgusting.      Neither  vva3 


W2  Bster  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking r 

Dirk  Colson  one  whit  behind  him.  The  spirit 
of  entertainment  was  upon  him.  He  mimicked 
Mr.  Dumat's  somewhat  hoarse  tones,  exagger- 
ating the  imitation,  of  course,  mi  til  it  was 
ludicrous.  He  imiti^ed  the  somewhat  shrill 
tenor,  and  the  nasal  tones  of  Deacon  Carter;^ 
who  was  doing  good  work  with:  a  class  of  meek- 
looking  women.  He  even  imitated  Mrs^ 
Roberts'  soft,  low  voice,  as  she  essayed  to  inter- 
est them  in  Moses  and  some  of  tlie  wonders 
which  he  performed. 

Vain  hope !  Strugglte^  a^  she  might  to  be 
intensely  dramatic  in  her  narrative,  she  did  not 
for  a  moment  gain  the  ascendency. 

"  Moses  ?  "  inten-upted  Nimble  Dick  in  the 
very  midst  of  one  of  her  most  earnest  sentences. 
*'  Let 's  see  !  that  was  the  old  fellow  who  swaii- 
lowed  the  serpents,  was  n't  it  ?  I  should  have 
thought  he  would  have  been  used  up.^" 

"You  don't  know  nothin',"  interrupted 
Stephen  Crowley,,  with  a  nudge  at  Dirk  that  the 
latter  pretended  tipped  him  entirely  off  his 
seat,  and  left  him  a  limp  heap  at  Mrs.  Roberts^ 
feet. 

*'  He  don't  know  nothiit' ! "  repeated  Stephen^ 


"And  She  always  Tried."  153 

addressing  Mrs.  Roberts  in  a  confidential  tone. 
"  'T  was  the  serj)ents  swallowed  Moses,  was  n't  it  ? 
Question  is,  How  did  he  getai'oand  again?" 

"  Quit  that !  "  came  at  this  point  from  Dirk 
Colson,  in  his  fiercest  tone.  "  Look  here,  you 
Bill  Snyder,  if  you  try  pinching  on  me  again 
I  '11  pitch  you  over  the  head  of  old  Durnat  in 
less  than  a  second  !  " 

What  was  the  poor,  pale  little  woman  to  do  ? 
With  one  bov  crawlinji^  about  the  floor  and  two 
others  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  Avith  the  rest  in  a 
giggle,  of  what  use  to  try  to  talk  to  them  about 
Moses?  You  should  have  seen  Gracie  Dennis 
eyes  by  that  time  !  Horror  and  disgust  were 
alTOut  equally  expressed,  and  rising  above  them 
both,  a  look  of  actual  fear.  Mr.  Durant  came 
over  to  attempt  a  rescue,  his  face'  distressed 
beyond  measure. 

"  Mrs.  Eoberts,  this  is  too  much.  I  am  sure 
that  patience  has  ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  They 
have  never  gone  so  far  before.  I  suspected 
mischief  to-day.  I  have  heard  from  several  of 
them  during  the  week,  and  never  anything  but 
evil.  I  am  prepared  for  it ;  there  is  a  full  police 
fijrce  on  guard  in  the  next  room  ;  what  I  propose 


154  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:'' 

is  to  have  every  one  of  these  fellows  taken  to 
the  lock-up.  It  will  be  a  lesson  that  they  richly 
deserve,  and  may  do  them  good." 

AVhispering  was  not  one  of  Mr.  Durant's 
strong  points.  He  meant  to  convey  secret 
intelligence  of  carefully-laid,  plans  to  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts alone.  In  reality  not  a  boy  in  the  class  l)ut 
heard  every  word.  They  were  startled  into 
silence.  "  A  full  police  force  !  "  They  were 
not  fonder  of  the  lock-up  than  are  most  boys 
who  deserve  that  punishment.  They  were 
skilful  in  escaping  the  hands  of  policemen. 
They  had  not  believed  that  the  South  End 
Mission  would  resort  to  any  such  means.  They 
recognized  in  the  Mission  an  attempt  to  do  them 
good  ;  and,  without  any  effort  at  reasoning  it 
out,  they  had  by  tacit  consent  decided  that 
policemen  and  lock-ups  and  Christian  effort  did 
not  match.  They  had  chuckled  much  over  the 
stationing  of  "little  Duffer"  at  the  door  on 
guard.  Any  two  of  the  strong  young  fellows 
were  a  match  for  him,  and  in  the  event  of  a 
riot,  which  they  would  like  no  better  fun  than 
to  help  get  up,  how  many  choice  spirits  all 
about  the  room  would  join  them  if  giveu  tho 


^'And  She  ahvavs  Tried."  155 

word,  and  in  the  delightful  confusion  which 
would  result  how  easy  to  escape  from  sight  and 
hearinc:  Avhile  Policeman  Duffer  w;ts  summonins; 
aid  !  They  had  felt  comparatively  safe.  But 
"  a  full  police  force  "  detailed  for  duty  was  quite 
another  thing.  They  felt  caught  in  a  trap. 
Nimble  Dick  got  up  in  haste  from  the  floor  and 
took  his  seat,  and  the  boys  looked  from  one  to 
another  w'ith  ominous  frowns.  There  were 
reasons  why  none  of  them  cared  to  come 
before  the  police  court  just  now.  What  was  to 
be  done? 

While  they  waited  and  considered,  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts did  it.  Her  hand  Avas  on  Mr.  Durant's 
arm,  and  directly  the  loud  whispering  ceased,  she 
spoke  in  low,  but  distinctly  emphatic  tones  :  — 

''  I  beg  of  you,  Mr.  Durant,  do  no  such 
thing.  I  would  dismiss  every  policeman  at 
once,  with  thanks,  if  I  Avere  you.  We  shall  not 
need  their  help.  I  give  3'ou  my  word  of  honor 
that  the  boys  Avill  be  quiet  during  the  rest  of 
the  session,  not  because  they  are  afraid  of  police- 
men, but  because  they  respect  me,  and  do 
not  want  to  see  me  frightened  or  annoyed. 
Please  don't  let  a  policeman  come  near  us." 


156  Ester  Hied  "  Tet  Speaking . " 

I  am  not  sure  which  was  the  more  astonished, 
the  superintendent  or  the  boys.  He  returned 
to  his  desk  with  the  bewildered  air  of  one  whose 
deep-laid  schemes  had  come  to  naught  in  an 
unexpected  manner  without  giving  him  time  to 
rally ;  and  the  boys  looked  at  one  another  in 
perplexity,  and  were  silent. 

Mrs.  Roberts  turned  to  them  with  quiet 
voice :  — 

"Boys,"  she  said,  "you  have  spoiled  the 
story  that  I  was  going  to  tell  you.  I  have  lost 
my  place,  and  there  is  n't  time  to  go  back  and 
find  it.  I  am  sony,  for  I  think  you  would  have 
liked  the  story.  I  spent  a  good  deal  of  time 
this  week  trying  to  make  it  interesting.  But 
never  mind  now,  there  is  something  else  I  want 
to  say.  Will  you  spend  the  hours  from  eight 
to  ten  with  me  to-morrow  evening  at  my  house  ? 
I  brought  cards  with  me  for  each  of  you,  con- 
taining my  address,  that  you  might  have  no 
trouble  in  finding  the  place." 

"Whereupon  she  produced  the  delicate  bits  of 
pasteboard,  with  her  name  and  address  hand- 
somely engraved  thereon. 

Nimble  Dick  took  his   l^etween  his    soiled 


*'And  She  always  Tried."  157: 

thumb  and  finger,  turned  it  over  in  a  pretence 
of  great  interest,  and  finally  endeavored  to 
"  sight "  it  with  his  eye,  as  a  workman  does  his 
board. 

"  What  '11  you  do  with  us  if  we  come  ? " 
Stephen  Crowley  asked,  fixing  what  was  in- 
tended as  a  wise  look  upon  her,  the  leer  in  his 
eye  hinting  that  he  was  smart  enough  to  see 
another  trap,  and  meant  not  to  fall  into  it. 

Mrs.  Roberts  laughed  pleasantly. 

"  It  is  an  unusual  question,  when  one  invites 
company,"  she  said  ;  '*  but  I  don't  mind  answer- 
ing it.  For  one  thing  I  thought  we  would  have 
an  oyster  stew  and  some  good  coffee  together. 
Then,  if  any  of  you  like  music,  I  have  a  friend 
with  me  who  is  a  good  singer  ;  and  I  have  a  few 
pictures  I  should  like  you  to  see,  if  you  cai'ed 
to;  and  —  I  don't  know  whether  you  are  fond 
of  flowers,  but  some  of  you  may  have  a  mother, 
or  sister  at  home  who  is,  and  the  greenhouse  is 
all  aglow  just  now.  Oh,  how  can  I  tell 
what  I  should  do  to  entertain  guests?  Just 
what  seemed  to  me  to  be  pleasant  at  the  time. 
That  is  the  way  I  generally  do.  May  I  expect 
you  ?  " 


158  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

Tlie  boys  stared.  This  was  a  new  departure 
indeed  !  How  much  of  it  did  she  mean  ?  What 
was  she  trying  to  do  ?  Was  it  a  trap  ?  Still 
she  had  rescued  them  from  the  police  force,  and 
they  had  not  expected  that,  for  every  boy  of 
them  knew  that  he  had  treated  her  shamefully. 
Timothy  Haskell  was  generally  the  quietest  one 
of  the  group,  and  perhaps  the  most  straightfor- 
ward. He  went  directly  to  the  point  of  the 
question  that  he  saw  in  the  eyes  of  the  othere. 

"AVhatdoyou  do  it  for?" 

"Yes,  that's  the  talk,"  said  Nimble  Dick. 
"  "What  do  you  want  of  us  ?  " 

"Why,  I  want  \'ou  to  spend  the  evening  with 
me.  Did  n't  I  tell  you?  If  you  really  mean  to 
be  friends  with  me  of  course  I  must  invite  you 
to  my  home.  What  could  I  want  except  to 
have  a  nice  time?  I  'm  trying  to  make  you  like 
me.  Of  course  I  want  you  to  like  me.  How 
can  we  have  pleasant  times  together  unless  you 
do?" 


CHAPTER  XI. 

"I  HAVE  BUT  TO  TRY  AGAIN." 

LEASANT  times  like  vrcVe  been 
having  to-day?"  said  Nimble  Dick, 
with  a  wicked  leer. 

If  ho  meant  to  disconcert  her,  he 
missed  his  point. 

"  No  !  "  she  said,  promptly,  "  we  have  n't 
had  a  bit  nice  times  to-day,  and  as  for  liking 
you,  I  have  n't  done  so  to-day  at  all.  If  I  had 
the  least  idea  that  you  meant  often  to  treat  me 
as  you  have  this  afternoon  I  should  know  it 
was  of  no  use.  But  I  cannot  think  that  you  Avill 
continue  to  treat  a  lady  in  such  n  manner,  par- 
ticularly when  I  am  really  trying  to  make  a 
pleasant  time  for  you.  There  is  no  object,  you 
see,  in  spoiling  it." 

This  plain  bit  of  truth,  for  the  time  being  so 
commended  itself  to  the  judgment  of  the  bo3'3 
that  they  regarded  the  speaker  gravely,  Avithout 

159 


160  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking ^ 

attempting  a  reply.  She  was  not  moralizing ; 
at  least  it  was  unlike  any  moralizing  that  they 
had  ever  heard.  It  seemed  to  be  simply  a  bit 
of  practical  common  sense.  Not  a  boy  would 
have  owned  it,  but  each  felt,  just  at  that  mo- 
ment, a  faint  hope  that  she  would  not  decide  it 
was  of  no  use,  and  give  them  up.  Straight- 
forward Tim  Haskell  had  one  more  question 
to  ask  :  — 

"  Why  did  n't  you  let  them  bring  in  their 
police  and  settle  us  ?  " 

Their  teacher  hesitated  just  a  moment. 
Would  the  "  whole  truth"  do  to  speak  in  this 
case  ?  Could  she  hope  to  make  them  understand 
that  she  saw  in  it  a  step  lower  down,  and  that 
thus  degraded  before  her  e^-es,  she  feared  her 
possible  hold  on  them  would  l>e  gone  forever  ? 
No;  it  wouldn't  do!  A  little,  a  very  little 
piece  of  the  truth  was  all  that  she  eould  treat 
them  to.  A  faint  sparkle  in  her  bright  eyes, 
which  every  one  of  them  saw,  and  she  said  :  — 

"  I  was  afraid  you  might  not  he  excused  in 
time  to  keep  your  engagement  with  me  to-mor- 
row evenini?." 

They  all  laughed,  not  boisterously,  actually 


^'IHave  hut  to  Try  Again:'  161 

an  appreciative  laugh.  They  were  bright ; 
there  is  hardly  a  street  boy  living  by  his  wits 
who  is  n't.  They  recognized  the  humor  hidden 
in  the  answer,  and  enjoyed  it. 

Then  the  superintendent's  bell  rang.  That 
bell  always  did  seem  to  have  an  evil  influence 
on  those  boys.  Indeed,  Mrs.  Roberts  was 
known  to  remark,  a  few  Sundays  afterwards, 
that  if  there  were  no  opening  and  closing  exer- 
cises in  the  Sabbath-school,  her  work  would  be 
easier ;  that  street  boys  did  not  seem  to  have 
one  element  of  devotion  in  them,  and  needed  to 
be  kept  at  high  pressure,  in  order  to  be  able  to 
control  themselves. 

The  thought  is  worthy  of  study,  perhaps.  It 
is  just  possible  that  our  opening  and  closing  ex- 
ercises are  too  long  drawn  out  even  for  those 
who  are  not  street  boys. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  little  spell  which  Mi*s. 
Roberts  had  been  able  for  a  few  minutes  to 
weave  around  her  boys  on  this  particular  Sab- 
bath, was  broken  by  the  sound  of  the  bell.  The 
boys  returned  to  their  memories  of  insult,  as 
they  regarded  the  police  force.  They  muttered 
sullenly  among  themselves  about  ''  traps "  and 


162  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Sjpealdng:' 

"  sells,"  and  "  guessed  they  would  n't  get  caught 
here  again ;  "  and  ]\Irs.  Roberts,  seeming  not  to 
hear,  heard  with  a  heavy  heart. 

How  angry  they  looked  !  Even  Nimble  Dick's 
usually  merry  foce  was  clouded  over.  What  a 
curious  thing  it  was  that  even  they  had  their 
ideas  of  propriet}^,  and  felt  themselves  insulted  ! 
Was  it  an  instinct,  she  wondered  —  a  reminder 
that  there  was  in  them  material  for  manhood  ? 

Would  they  ever,  any  of  them,  be  men — 
Christian  gentlemen?  It  seemed  almost  too 
great  a  stretch  for  even  her  imagination.  As 
she  moved  in  her  seat  her  delicately-embroidered, 
perfumed  handkerchief  fell  to  the  floor.  Mrs. 
Roberts  was  used  to  3'oung  men  —  mere  boys, 
even  —  whose  instinctive  movement  would  be 
to  instantly  restore  it  to  her.  Not  a  boy  before 
her  thou£:ht  of  such  a  thins:.  She  had  not  ex- 
pected  it,  of  course.  Yet  she  wondered  if  the 
instinct  were  not  dormant,  needing  but  the  sug- 
gestion. It  was  a  queer  little  notion,  worthy  of 
Flossy  Shipley  herself,  who,  from  being  con- 
tinually busy  about  little  things,  had  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  nothing  anywhere  was  little  ; 
that  the  so-called  trifles,  which  make  up  many 


''I  Have  hut  to  Tnj  Aga^^:'  163 

lives,  had  much  to  do  with  the  happiness  of  other 
lives.  Was  it  worth  her  while  to  try  to  teach 
these  street  Arabs  to  pick  up  fallen  handker- 
chiefs. She  differed  from  many  Christian 
workers,  in  that,  in  her  simplicity,  she  really 
thought  it  was. 

There  was  a  lull  just  at  that  moment.  A 
hymn  had  been  announced,  but  the  organist's 
note-book  had  been  mislaid,  and  was  being 
sought  after.  It  could  disturb  no  one  if  Mrs. 
Roberts  tried  her  little  experiment.  She  looked 
longingly  at  Dirk  Colson,  but  his  brows  were 
black  and  his  eyes  fierce ;  this  was  no  time  to 
reach  him.  Nimble  Dick  looked  much  more 
approachable.  She  determined  to  venture 
him :  — 

"Mr.  Bolton,"  spoken  in  her  sweetest  voice, 
"  I  have  dropped  my  handkerchief." 

"  Anybody  with  half  an  eye  could  see  that, 
mum ;  and  a  mighty  dirty  spot  you  picked  out 
for  such  a  nice  little  rag  to  lie  in." 

This  Avas  her  only  response.  Then  the  dis- 
comfited experimenter  told  herself  that  she  was 
a  blunderer.  How  could  the  poor  fellow  be 
expected  to  know  what  she  meant  ?     Why  had 


164  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Spealcingr 

she  not  asTced  the  service  from  him  ?  She  would 
try  again. 

Would  he  be  kind  enough  to  pick  it  up  for 
her?  It  was  long  afterwards  before  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts could  think  of  his  answer  without  a  sinkins: 
heart.  Fixing  bold,  saucy  eyes  on  her,  he 
spoke  in  deliberate  tones,  loud  enough  to  be 
heard  half-way  across  the  room  :  — 

"  Why,  pick  it  up  yourself,  mum !  It  is  as 
near  to  you  as  it  is  to  me,  and  you  don't  look 
weakly." 

She  picked  it  up,  her  poor  cheeks  burning, 
but  she  did  not  forget  it. 

Various  after-school  conferences  told  their 
diffferent  stories. 

"  Well ! "  Mr.  Durant  said,  stopping  in  the 
act  of  mopping  his  hot  forehead  to  shake  hands 
with  her,  "  Mrs.  Eoberts,  I  honor  your  courage. 
Those  boys  were  simply  fearful  to-day  ;  I  really 
feared  some  outbreak  that  would  be  hard  to 
quell.  I'm  afraid  we  shall  have  to  give  them 
up.  Yes,  I  know  how  you  feel ;  but  you 
have  n't  been  here  to  see  what  we  have  borne 
from  them.  All  sorts  of  teachers  have  been 
tried.      We  have  given  them  the  best  material 


''I  Have  hut  to  Try  Again:'  165 

we  had,  both  men  and  women,  and  every  one 
has  failed.  Then  you  actually  want  to  try  it 
for  another  Sabbath  !  Well,  I  'm  glad  of  it. 
Oh,  /don't  want  to  give  them  up ;  it  makes  my 
heart  ache  to  think  of  it ;  but  if  we  can't  keep 
them  in  sufficient  order  to  get  any  benefit,  nor 
find  a  teacher  who  is  willing  to  hold  on  to 
them,  what  else  is  there  for  us  to  do?  But  that 
last  complaint  I  need  n't  make  so  long  as  you 
'hold  on,' need  I?"  This  last  with  a  genial 
smile.  ''Well,  God  bless  you;  I  couldn't 
begin  to  tell  you  how  much  I  hope  you  will 
succeed." 

But  his  face  said  :  "  However,  I  know  you 
won't." 

He  turned  from  her  and  said  as  much  to 
young  Ried :  — 

"  She  is  in  earnest,  Ried,  and  she  has  re- 
sources ;  but  she  won't  catch  them,  simply  be- 
cause they  don't  mean  to  be  caught ;  they  come 
here  to  make  trouble,  and  for  nothing  else. 
Just  look  at  the  way  they  have  performed  to- 
day —  worse  than  ever,  and  they  never  had  a 
better  teacher.  I  've  watched  her,  and  I  believe 
she  knows  how.     I  '11  tell  you  what  it  is,  Ried, 


166  Uster  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

■\ve  must  hold  on  to  her,  and  when  she  gives  up 
those  boys  we  must  secure  her  for  that  class  of 
girls  down  by  the  door.  I  really  think  we  have 
a  prize." 

Now,  if  he  had  but  known  it,  Mrs.  Evan 
Roberts  meant  to  teach  no  other  class  at  the 
South  End  Mission  save  those  boys. 

"  Flossy  Shipley  !  "  This  was  Gracie  Dennis' 
exclamation ;  when  she  was  very  much  excited, 
she  w^ent  back  to  the  old  name.  "  What  are 
you  trying  to  do  with  those  horrid  boys  ?  and 
how  can  you  endure  their  impudence  ?  I  never 
saw  anything  like  their  actions  in  my  life,  and 
I  thought  I  had  seen  bad  boys.  You  look 
completely  worn  out,  and  no  wonder.  I 
should  n't  think  Mr.  Roberts  would  let  you  do 
this.  What  good  can  you  do  such  creatures, 
Flossy?" 

"  My  dear  Gracie,  don't  you  think  that  Jesus 
Christ  died  to  save  them  ?  " 

"  Well !  "  said  Gracie,  hesitatingly.  It  was  a 
favorite  phrase  w  ith  her,  as  it  is  with  many  peo- 
ple when  they  don't  know  what  to  sa}'  next. 

"  And  don't  j'^ou  think  he  wants  them  saved  ? 
And  will  he  not  be  pleased  with  even  my  little 


''I Have  hut  to  Try  Again."  167 

bits  of  efforts  if  he  knows  that  my  sincere  desire 
is  to  save  these  souls  for  his  glory  ?  " 

"  But  what  I  mean  is,  what  good  can  you  do 
them  so  long  as  they  act  as  they  do  now  ?  They 
did  n't  listen  to  a  word  you  said,  so  as  to  get 
any  good  out  of  it." 

"  I  don't  know  that,  dear,  nor  do  3^ou.  Don't 
you  think  the  Holy  Spirit  sometimes  presses 
words  on  people  that  they  do  not  seem  to  he 
heeding?  In  any  event,  that  is  a  part  with 
which  I  have  nothing  to  do.  I  tried  ;  and  if  I 
failed  utterly  I  have  but  to  try  again.  It  is  n't 
as  though  there  were  some  good  teacher  ready 
to  take  them.  Nobody  will  make  a  second 
effort.  Now  there  is  one  thing  I  can  certainly 
do.  I  can  keep  on  making  efforts  ;  who  knows 
but  some  of  them  may  bear  fruit?  By  the 
way,  Gracie,  I  want  ever  so  much  of  your  help." 

"Mine?"  said  Gracie,  with  wide-open  eyes. 
"  I  don't  know  how  to  help  people ;  I  'm  not 
good."  And  her  face  darkened  in  a  frown,  — 
some  unpleasant  memories  that  went  far  toward 
proving  the  truth  of  that  statement  coming  to 
mind  just  then.  After  a  moment  she  spoke  in 
a  somewhat  more  c^entle  tone :    "  Don't  count 


168  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

on  me,  Flossy,  for  help  about  those  boys.  They 
frighten  me ;  I  never  saw  such  fellows.  I 
couldn't  help  wondering  what  —  papa  would 
have  said  to  them." 

Between  the  "  wondering  "  and  the  noun  there 
had  been  an  observable  pause.  Mrs.  Roberts 
suspected  that  the  thought  in  Gracie's  mind  was 
rather  what  Mrs.  Dennis,  who  was  supposed  to 
have  much  knowledge  of  boys,  would  have 
thought  of  them.  But  since  her  arrival  Gracie 
had  studiously  avoided  any  reference  to  hei 
stepmother,  and  Mrs.  Roberts  had  humored  her 
folly. 

"  Never  mind,  you  can  help  them ;  and  when 
you  begin  to  realize  that,  you  will  forget  your 
fears." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  see  one  of  the  creatures 
to-morrow  evening?  What  in  the  world  would 
you  do  with  them  if  they  did  come  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  sure  that  I  expect  them ;  I  only 
hope  for  them.  As  to  what  to  do  with  them,  I 
trust  to  you  to  help  answer  that  question.  I 
want  to  give  them  an  idea  of  what  a  nice  time  is." 

"  I  cannot  help,"  said  Gracie  again ;  but  she 
was  interested^  and  referred  again  and  again  to 


''I  Have  but  to  Try  Again:'  169 

the  subject,  cross-questioning  Mrs.  Roberts  as 
to  her  plans  and  hopes,  until  that  lady  gave  a 
satisfied  smile  to  the  thought  that  her  seven 
boys  had  begun  their  work. 

The  first  part  of  this  conversation  was  held 
while  they  waited  in  one  of  the  class-rooms  for 
Mr.  Eied  to  give  in  his  report  before  joining 
them.  The  waiting^  suorsjested  to  Gracie  another 
question. 

''  Who  is  this  Mr.  Ried,  who  seems  to  have  us 
in  charge  ?  " 

"  He  is  one  of  the  clerks  from  the  store,  which 
accounts,  in  part,  for  his  attendance  on  us.  But 
I  am  interested  in  him  for  other  reasons.  He 
had  a  wonderful  sister;  that  is,  she  was  a  won- 
derful Christian ;  she  died  when  quite  young, 
but  one  might  be  ready  to  go  to  heaven  early  if 
one  had  accomplished  as  much  as  she  did.  By 
one  of  those  strang-e  arran2;ements  which  I  should 
think  would  go  far  toward  makins:  observinof 
people  believe  in  a  special  Providence,  her  life, 
or  I  might  almost  say  her  death,  was  the  means 
of  changing  the  current  of  my  husband's  life. 
He  says  he  was  a  gay  young  fellow  ;  a  member 
of  the  church,  but  giving  just  as  little  attention 


170  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking. '' 

to  religion  as  many  do  whom  you  and  I  know. 
An  accident  to  one  of  his  family  held  him  for 
several  weeks  in  the  town  where  this  Ester 
Eied  lived ;  and  her  physician,  with  whom  he 
became  acquainted,  introduced  him  to  her.  It 
seems  she  was  very  much  interested  in  young 
men,  in  their  Christian  development.  He  went 
to  see  her  several  times ;  and,  to  use  his  own 
expression,  she  first  made  him  realize  that  there 
was  such  a  thins:  as  zeal,  and  then  she  set  it  on 
fire.  "What  she  had  begun  in  life  she  finished 
in  her  death.  Evan  attended  her  funeral  ser- 
vices, and  the  walls  were  hung  with  Bible  texts 
of  her  selection.  The  most  wonderful  texts  I 
All  about  Christian  work,  and  about  being  in 
earnest,  because  the  time  was  short.  Evan 
saj'^s  he  began  to  understand,  then,  that  the  ser- 
vice of  Christ  was  first,  best,  and  always. 

"  Was  n't  it  a  singular  Providence  that  led 
him  under  the  influence  of  that  young  girl 
during  the  closing  weeks  of  her  life?  Only 
think,  he  has  been  doing  her  work  ever  since, — 
doing  it,  possibly,  in  ways  that  she  could  not 
compass.  That  is  one  reason  why  I  am  so 
much  interested  in  those  boys.     It  seems  to  me 


^^ I  Have  but  to  Try  Again.''''  Ill 

as  though  they  were  her  hoys.  Did  I  tell  you 
that  her  heart  went  out  especially  after  the 
neglected?  I  learned  about  the  boys  through 
Mr.  Ried.  He  was  but  a  child  when  his  sister 
died,  and  yet  she  succeeded  in  so  enthusing 
him  with  her  ideas  that  he  is  all  the  time  trying 
to  carry  out  her  plans.  She  had  some  wonder- 
ful ones.  This  idea  of  inviting  the  boys, 
socially,  I  had  from  her.  Do  you  see  how 
plainly  she  is  working  yet,  though  she  has  been 
in  heaven  so  long?" 

"  Do  you  think,"  asked  Gracie  Dennis,  a 
timid,  gentle  sound  to  her  voice,  "  that  all 
Christians  ought  to  put  religion  '  first,  best,  and 
always,'  as  your  husband  said?  I  fancied  that 
some  were  set  apart  to  do  a  special  work." 

"  We  are  all  set  apart,  dear,  don't  you  think? 
Given  to  Him  to  use  as  He  will.  The  trouble 
is  that  so  many  of  us  take  back  the  gifts,  and 
use  our  time  and  our  tongues  as  though  they 
were  our  own." 

"  Our  tongues!''  repeated  Gracie,  amazement 
in  her  voice. 

"  Why,  yes ;  did  n't  you  give  Him  j^our 
tongue  when  you   gave   Him   yourself?     And 


172  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speakinff." 

yet  you  are  fortunate  if  you  have  not  dishonored 
Plim  with  it  many  a  time." 

Said  Gracie,  "  What  a  queer  way  you  have 
of  putting  things." 

Then  came  Alfred  Ried  in  haste,  and  apolo- 
gizing for  the  long  delay.  Gracie  Dennis 
watched  him  curiously ;  listened  critically  to 
his  words.  Was  it  to  be  supposed  that  this 
young  man  put  religion  "first,  best,  and  al- 
ways "  ;  and  considered  his  tongue  as  given  to 
the  Lord?  Alfred  bore  the  scrutiny  well.  He 
took  very  little  notice  of  Miss  Gracie,  being 
entirely  absorbed  with  another  matter.  He  had 
settled  opinions  about  Mrs.  Eoberts  now,  from 
which  he  would  not  be  likely  to  waver.  He 
had  seen  much  of  her  during  the  week,  and  he 
knew  she  had  not  been  idle.  She  had  given 
him  much  valuable  information  concerning  the 
boys  in  whom  he  had  been  interested  all  winter ; 
and  whom  she  had  known  for  a  week.  Also  he 
was  aware  that  Sally  and  IVIark  Calkins  had  seen 
much  of  her,  to  their  great  benefit.  She  had 
made  him  her  messenger  on  one  occasion,  and 
he  had  seen  Sally  Calkins  take  from  the  basket 
the  clean,  sweet-smelling  sheets  that  were   to 


''I  Have  hut  to  Try  Again."  173 

freshen  her  brother's  bed,  and  bestow  on  them 
rapturous  kisses,  while  she  murmured,  "I  'd  walk 
on  my  knees  in  broad  daylight  through  the  gut- 
ter to  serve  her,  —  that  I  would." 

"  Sheets  are  n't  much,  I  suppose,"  moralized 
the  young  man,  as  he  walked  thoughtfully  home- 
ward. "  People  with  much  less  money  than 
she  has  raio^ht  have  furnished  them.  It  is  think- 
ins:  about  thin<js  that  makes  the  difference  be- 
tween  her  and  others." 

But  he  had  not  quite  found  the  secret.  The 
main  difference  between  her  and  many  other 
people  lay  in  the  fact  that  she  set  steadily  about 
doing  the  things  she  thought  of  that  would  be 
nice  to  do. 

On  the  whole,  young  Riedwas  fully  prepared 
to  sympathize  with  Mr.  Durant's  opinion,  that 
the  South  End  Mission  had  secured  a  prize. 
Not  that  he  was  very  hopeful  over  those  boys. 
He  felt  that  their  conduct,  under  the  circum- 
stances, showed  a  depth  of  depravity  which 
was  be^'ond  the  reach  of  Mission  schools ;  but 
it  was  a  comfort  to  think  that  good  things  were 
arranged  for  them  if  they  had  but  chosen  to  re- 
ceive.    He  began  at  once  to  talk  about  them. 


174  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  SpeakingJ" 

"  Mrs.  Roberts,  they  are  worse  than  I  had 
supposed.  I  am  afraid  that  your  patience  is 
exhausted." 

Her  answer  was  peculiar. 

"  Mr.  Ried,  I  want  you  to  spend  to-morrow 
evening  with  me.  I  have  invited  my  boj's,  and 
I  depend  on  you  and  Gracie  here  to  help  enter- 
tain them." 

"  Are  j'ou  equal  to  such  formidable  work 
as  that?"  asked  Gracie,  with  a  mischievous 
smile. 

He  did  not  respond  to  the  smile ;  he  was 
looking  at  Mrs.  Roberts,  studying  her  face 
as  one  bewildered  with  the  rapidity  of  her 
moves. 

"  I  want  to  be,"  he  said,  with  feeling ;  "  I 
want  to  know  how  to  work,  and  I  'm  learning. 
Mrs.  Roberts,  I  moved  to  my  new  boarding- 
house  last  evening,  and  my  room  is  a  perfect 
little  gem.  There  is  an  illuminated  text  in  it, 
and  all  around  it  is  twined  an  ivy,  gi'owing,  — 
don't  you  think !  Hidden,  you  know,  behind 
the  frame  in  a  bottle  ;  and  the  text  is  one  of  my 
sister's  treasures.  Is  n't  that  a  singular  coinci- 
dence ?  " 


''I  Have  hut  to  Try  Again:'  175 

"It  is  very  nice,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts,  with 
satisfied  eyes.  She  still  made  much  use  of  that 
little  word. 

"And,  Mrs.  Roberts,  I  asked  one  of  your 
boys  to  come  in  this  evening  and  s«g  my 
room." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

'•1    17ANT  THEM  TO  GET  USED  TO  PARLORS." 


mm 


nOSE  two  people  can  think  and  talk 
of  nothing  but  those  dreadful  boys," 


^_,^^^     said  Gracie  to  herself,  half  annoyed 
and   wholly    interested.      She   found 


herself  ttiat  very  evening  turning  over  the 
music,  witli  the  wonderment  in  her  mind  as  to 
■what  she  cotJd  sing  that  they  would  be  likely 
to  care  for,  provided  one  of  them  appeared, 
which  thing  ©he  did  not  expect. 

But  I  have  not  told  you  of  all  the  discussions 
had  that  day.  The  boj's  went  their  various 
ways,  their  minds  also  busy  with  the  events  of 
the  afternoon.  Dirk  Colson  and  Stephen 
Crowley  went  off  together  ;  not  that  they  were 
special  friends,  but  their  homes  lay  near  to- 
gether. For  the  distance  of  half  a  block  they 
walked  in  silence ;  then  Stephen  Crowley  spoke 
his  mind :  — 

176 


'^ I  want  Them  to  get  used  to  Parlors.'"     177 

*'  Nimble  Dick  was  n't  near  as  smart  to-day 
as  he  thinks  he  was,  accordin'  to  my  way  of 
thinkin'." 

"  He  was  meaner  than  dirt ! "  burst  forth 
Dirk,  fiercely.  "  To  go  back  on  her  like  that, 
after  she  had  saved  us  from  a  row  with  the 
police,  ain't  what  I  believe  in.  Wh}^  could  n't 
he  have  picked  up  the  rag,  seeing  she  wanted 
him  to?  That 's  what  I ^ay.  I  'd  a  done  it  my- 
self if  she  had  give  me  the  chance." 

"  That  there  Dick  Bolton  can  be  too  mean  for 
anything  Avhen  he  seto  out,"  said  Stephen,  with 
a  grave  air  of  superiority.  "  I  don't  go  in  for 
anything  of  that  kind  myself.  We  was  n't  none 
of  us  much  to  boast  of;  but  Dick,  ho  went  too 
fur.  I  say.  Dirk,  what  do  you  s'pose  all  that 
yarn  means  about  to-morrow  night?  And  what 
be  we  goin'  to  do  about  it?  Dick,  ho  said  it 
was  all  a  game  to  get  hold  of  us  somehow, 
and  he  was  u't  goin'  to  have  nolhin'  to  do  with 
it." 

Had  Stephen  Crowle}'"  desired  exceedingly  to 
secure  Dirk's  vote  in  favor  to  the  proposed 
entertainment  he  could  not,  at  that  moment, 
have  chosen  a  better  way.      Dirk   tossed   his 


178  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking.'^ 

thick  mat  of  black  huir  in  a  defiant  fashion  and 
answered :  — 

"  Ho  need  n't  I)ave  a  thing  to  do  with  it,  so 
f;;r  as  I  care.  I  don't  know  who  '11  miss  liim  ; 
hut  if  he  thinks  he's  got  all  the  fellows  under 
his  Ihunil),  and  they  're  goin'  to  do  as  he  says, 
I  '11  show  him  a  thing  or  two.  /'wi  a  goin'  to- 
morrow night.  I  don't  care  what  it  is,  nor 
what  it  is  for.  She  was  nice  and  friendly  to  us 
to-day,  and  I'm  willin'  to  trust  her  to-morrow^ 
I  shall  go  up  there  and  see  what  she  does  want. 
It  can't  kill  a  fellow  to  do  that  much." 

''Then  I'm  a  goin',  too,"  declared  Stephen, 
with  decision.  "Dick,  he  thinks  there  won't 
none  of  us  go  if  ho  don't ;  and  I  'd  just  like  to 
show  him  that  he  must  get  up  early  in  the 
mornin'  if  ho  wants  to  keep  track  of  us." 

If  Dirk  Colson  needed  anything  to  strengthen 
his  resolution,  there  was  material  in  that  last 
sentence  which  supplied  it.  He  had  long  chafed 
under  the  control  of  Dick  Bolton ;  here  was  a 
chance  to  assert  superiority.  He  even,  just  at 
that  moment,  conceived  the  brilliant  idea  of 
supplanting  Dick  —  running  an  opposition 
party,  as  it  were. 


^"IiDant  TJiem  to  get  used  to  Parlors.'"     179 

What  if  ho  should  ^at  every  follow  in  the 
class  to  promise  to  go,  and  Dick,  the  acknowl- 
edged leader,  should  find  himself  left  out  alone 
in  the  cold.  The  thought  actually  made  his 
grim  face  break  into  a  smile.  Thus  it  came  to 
pass  that  the  most  cfBcient  worker  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Monday  evening  entertainment,  so 
far  at  least  as  securing  the  presence  of  the 
guests,  was  Dirk  Colson. 

In  Mr.  Roberts'  niansion  preparations  for  re- 
ceiving and  entertaining  the  hoped-for  guests 
went  ])riskly  forward.  Preparations  which 
astonished  the  young  guest  already  arrived. 

"  Are  you  really  going  to  let  them  come  in 
here?"  she  asked,  as  she  followed  INIrs.  Roberts 
through  the  elegant  parlors,  and  "watched  her 
putting  delicate  touches  here  and  there. 

"Certainly;  why  not?  Don't  you  open  your 
parlors  when  you  receive  ^our  friends?" 

"I  don't  think  we  have  such  peculiar  friends 
on  our  list,"  Gracie  said,  with  a  little  laugh  ;  and 
then,  "Flossy,  they  will  spoil  your  furniture." 

"  If  one  evening  in  the  Master's  service  vv'ill 
spoil  anything  it  surely  ought  to  be  spoiled," 
Mrs.  Koberts  answered,  serenely. . 


1 80  Ester  Ried  ''•  Yet  Speaking." 

"But,  Flossy,"  —  with  a  touch  of  impatience 
in  her  voice,  — '' Avhat  is  the  use?  Wouldn't 
the  dining-room  answer  every  purpose ;  be  to 
tbcni  the  most  elegant  room  they  ever  beheld, 
and  be  less  likely  to  suffer  from  their  con- 
tact?" 

The  busy  little  mistress  of  all  the  beauty 
around  her  turned  to  her  guest  with  a  peculiar 
smile  on  her  face,  half  mischievous  and  wholly 
sweet,  as  she  said  :  — 

**I  want  them  to  get  used  to  parlors,  my 
dear;  they  may  have  much  to  do  with  them,  as 
well  as  with  dining-rooms." 

"They  are  more  likely  to  have  to  do  with 
penitentiaries  and  prisons,"  Gracie  said;  but 
she  abandoned  discussion,  and  gave  herself  to 
the  pleasure  of  arranging  lovely  flowers  in  their 
lovely  vases. 

There  was  a  divided  house  as  to  the  proba- 
bility of  the  guests  appearing, — Mr.  Roberts  in- 
clining to  the  belief  that  some  of  them  would 
come,  while  Gracie  was  entirely  skeptical. 
Mrs.  Roberts  kept  her  own  counsel,  neither  ex- 
pressing wish  nor  fear,  but  steadily  pushing  her 
preparations. 


''Iivant  Them  to  get  used  to  Parlors.''     181 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  entire  seven  appeared 
together,  promptly,  as  the  clock  struck  eight. 

At  the  last  moment  Dick  Bolton,  the  usual 
leader,  finding  himself  in  a  minority  of  one,  not 
to  be  outwitted,  protested  that  he  had  not  the 
least  notion  of  staying  away ;  of  course  he  was 
going,  and  good-naturedly  joined  the  group. 

I  wonder  if  you  have  the  least  conception  of 
how  those  boys  looked?  The  ideas  of  some 
people  cannot  get  below  nicely-patched  clothes, 
carefully  brushed  boots,  clean  collars,  and 
neatly  arranged  hair. 

Clean  colhirs  !  Xot  a  boy  of  them  owned  a 
collar,  Xo  thought  of  brushing  their  worn-out, 
unmended  boots  ever  entered  their  minds. 
Their  clothes  were  much  patched,  but  in  many 
places  needed  it  still. 

Stephen  CroAvley  had  made  a  somewhat  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  to  put  his  mass  of  hair  in  order. 
Most  of  the  others  had  not  thought  even  of  that. 
Why  should  they  ?  Poor  Dirk,  you  will  remem- 
ber, if  he  had  thought  of  it,  had  no  comb  with 
Avhic'h  to  ex};ei-iment.  It  is  doubtful  if  many 
of  the  others  were  any  better  oli'  in  this  re- 
spect. 


182  Ester  Eied  ''Yet  Speaking r 

Imngine  the  seven  standing,  u  confused,  grin- 
ning heap,  in  the  centre  of  Mrs.  Koberts"  large 
and  brilliantly-lighted  hall ! 

She  came  forward  to  welcome  them,  shaking 
hands,  though  they  made  no  attempt  to  ofier  a 
hand  in  greeting.  She  had  to  grasp  after  each. 
She  essayed  to  introduce  Gracie ;  not  one  of 
them  attempted  a  bow. 

''Come  this  way,"  Mrs.  Roberts  said,  "and 
take  seals."  Then  she  led  the  way  into  the 
long,  bright,  elegantly-furnished,  flower-decked 
room. 

They  followed  her  in  a  row.  Midway  in  (he 
room  they  made  a  halt.  They  caught  a  view  of 
themselves  —  full  length  at  that  —  revealed  by 
the  great  mirrors.  They  had  never  seen  them- 
selves set  in  contrast  before.  They  could  not 
sit  in  a  row,  for  the  easy  chairs  and  sofas, 
though  plentiful,  had  the  air  of  having  been  just 
vacated  by  people  who  had  left  them  carelessly 
just  where  tliey  had  chanced  to  sit.. 

It  required  diplomacy  to  seat  those  lioys. 
"VThcn  at  last  Stei)hen  Crowley  dropped  into 
one  of  the  great  pillowy  chairs,  he  instimtly 
sprang  up  again,  and  looked  at  it  doubtfully'. 


^^ I  want  Them  to  get  used  to  Parlors.''     183 

Was  t\i2  thing  a  trap?  How  far  clown  would  it 
sink  with  him  ?  This  was  too  much  for  ]Mmble 
Dick,  even  under  the  present  overpowering  cir- 
cumstances —  he  laughed.  His  hostess  blessed 
him  for  that  laugh.  The  horrible  stiffness  wa^ 
somewhat  broken,  and  all  were  seated. 

Just  at  that  moment  came  Alfred  Ried,  hur- 
riedly, like  one  Avho  had  intended  promptness 
and  missed  it. 

"  All  here  ahead  of  me  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  Mrs. 
Roberts,  I  beg  your  pardon.  At  the  last  mo- 
ment I  went  in  search  of  Dr.  Everett ;  there  was 
serious  illness  in  a  house  next  door,  and  I  hap- 
pened to  know  just  Avhere  he  was." 

Durins:  this  address  he  was  shakins:  hands 
with  his  hostess,  his  manner  easy  and  graceful, 
as  one  used  to  it  all.  Then  he  crossed  the  room, 
that  w^onderful  room,  treading  down  those 
flovv'ers  on  the  carpet  as  though  he  had  no  fears 
of  breaking  their  stems. 

"  Good  evenhig.  Miss  Dennis,"  he  said,  and 
he  was  bowing  in  a  manner  that  Dirk  Colson 
was  confident  he  could  imitate.  Then  he  turned 
to  tlie  boys,  shaking  hands  :  — 

"How  are  you,  Haskell?    By  the  way,  Crow- 


184  Ester  Eied  ''Yet  Spealdng:' 

ley,  I  called  on  3011  to-day  at  the  office  ;  sorry 
not  to  find  you  in." 

"  Mrs.  Robei-ts,  allow  me  ?  "  And  he  ^vheeled 
one  of  the  easy  chairs  to  the  spot  ^Yhere  that 
lady  was  standing. 

"How  well  he  enters  into  the  thing,"  said 
Gracie.  Dennis  to  herself,  looking  on  in  admira- 
tion at  this  young  man,  who,  still  so  young,  Avas 
adapting  himself  to  circumstances  (hat  might 
well  have  embarrassed  older  heads  than  his.  He 
plunged  into  talk  with  the  hoys,  making 
them  answer  questions.  .  He  had  come  hut  a 
few  moments  before  from  INIark  Calkins', 
stopped  there  with  a  message  from  Dr.  Everett ; 
and  these  boys  kncAv  ^lark  and  Sallie  and  the 
worthless  father,  and  all  the  more  or  less  worth- 
less neighbors  who  ran  in  and  out,  and  young 
Ried  h  d  a  dozen  questions  to  ask.  His  quick- 
wittedness,  and  the  ease  with  which  he  made 
talk  to  these  3'oung  men  who  lived  in  such  an 
utterly  different  world  from  himself,  surprised 
his  hostess  very  much. 

Even  she  did  not  know  to  what  an  exalted 
pitch  his  enthusiasm  and  excitement  reached ; 
though  he  had  Hashed  a  pair  of  most  appreciative 


^'I ivant  Tliem  to  get  used  to  Parlors.'*     185 

eves  oil  her  when  she  gave  him  her  invitation 
for  the  cvenin"'.  Here  wtis  actually  his  sister 
Ester's  darlino-  scheme  beinij:  worked  out  before 
his  eyes  !  ]S"ot  only  that,  but  he  was  being 
called  upon  to  help.  Ester  had  wanted  him  to 
grow  up  to  undertake  just  such  efforts  as  these  ; 
and  only  last  week  they  had  seemed  to  him  so 
altogether  good  and  noble  and  so  impossible  to 
try.  Yet  here  he  was  helping  tr}^  them  !  No 
wonder  Alfred  Ricd  could  talk. 

It  had  been  determined  in  family  council  that 
j\Ir.  Roberts  must  absent  himself.  He  was  in 
the  house,  indeed  —  no  further  away  than  the 
library,  ready  for  call  in  event  of  an  emergency  ; 
but  it  Avas  judged  that  another  stranger,  and 
such  a  formidable  one  as  the  head  of  the  house, 
must  be  avoided  for  this  one  evening.  As  for 
Mr.  Ried,  icould  they  remember  that  he  Avas  not 
much  older  than  some  of  them,  and  that  he  was 
not  a  rich  young  man  living  on  his  income,  but 
was  earning  his  living  by  daily  vrork?  and 
would  they  note  the  contrast  between  them- 
selves and  him?  This  was  v.hat  their  hostess 
'Avondered.  A  few  moments  and  then  came  a 
summons  to  the  dining-room.     Seated  at  last, 


186  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking." 

thousfli  one  of  tlic  poor  fcilows  stumblecl  orcr 
II  cluiir,  and  barely  saved  himself  from  fall- 
iivj;. 

If  you  could  have  seen  that  dining-tablo,  the 
picture  of  it  would  have  liuirered  long  in  j^our 
memor3\  The  whitest  and  finest  of  damask 
table  linen ;  napkins  so  large  that  they  almost 
justified  Dick  Bolton's  whisper,  "  What  be  you 
goin'  to  do  with  your  sheet?  "  china  so  delicate 
that  Graci2  Dennis  could  not  restrain  an  inward 
shiver  when  any  of  the  clumsy  fingers  touched 
a  bit  of  it,  and  such  a  glitter  of  silver  as  even 
Grade  had  never  seen  before. 

One  thing  was  different  from  the  conventional 
tea-party.  Every  servant  was  banished ;  none 
but  tender  eyes,  interested  in  her  experiment, 
and  ready  to  help  it  on,  should  witness  the 
blunders  of  the  boys.  So  the  hostess  had  decreed , 
and  so  instructed  Alfred  and  Gracie.  The  con- 
sequence was  that  Alfred  himself  served  the 
steaming  oysters  with  liberal  hand,  and  Gracie 
presided  over  jellies  and  sauces,  while  jNIrs. 
Koberts  sugarsd  and  creamed  and  poured  cups 
of  such  cofl'i3C  as  those  fellows  had  never  even 
smelled  before.     If  you  think  they  were  em- 


"Iioani  Them  to  get  used  to  Parlors.''''     187 

barrassed  to  the  degree  that  they  could  not  eat, 
3'ou  arc  mistaken. 

They  were  street  l)oy.'3 ;  their  lives  had  been 
spent  in  a  hardening  atmosphere.  Directly  the 
first  sense  of  novelty  passed  away,  and  their 
poorly-fed  stomachs  craved  the  unusual  fare 
served  up  for  them,  the  fellovrs  grinned  at  one 
another,  seized  their  silver  spoons,  and  dived 
into  the  stews  in  a  fashion  that  Avould  have 
horriiied  every  servant  in  the  house. 

How  they  ate !  Oysters  and  coffee  and 
pickles  and  cakes  and  jellies  I  There  seemed 
no  limit  to  their  capacities ;  neither  did  they 
make  the  slightest  attempt  to  correct  their  table 
manners.  None  of  them  paid  any  outward 
attention  to  their  "sheets,"  although  Alfred  and 
Gracic  spread  theirs  v.'ith  elaborate  care  ;  they 
leaned  their  elbows  on  the  table,  they  made 
loud,  s:7ooping  sounds  ^vith  their  lips,  and,  in 
sliort,  transgressed  every  law  known  to  civilized 
lite.     Why  not? 

What  did  they  know  about  civilized  life? 

Iscvertheless,  not  one  movement  of  young 
Eied  escaped  the  notice  of  some  of  them. 

He   tried  still  to    carry  on  a   conversation ; 


1£8  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

though  the  business  of  eathig  was  being  too 
closely  attended  to  on  all  sides  to  let  him  be 
very  successfid. 

Gracie  studied  Mm,  and  was  not  only  inter- 
ested in  his  efforts,  but  roused  to  make  some 
attempts  herself.  What  could  she  talk  about 
■with  such  people?  School?  The  Literarj^ 
Club?  The  last  concert?  The  course  of 
lectures?  The  last  new  book  that  everybody 
Avas  reading?  Ko,  not  everybody;  assuredly 
not  these  seven. 

On  what  ground  loas  she  to  meet  them? 

Yet  talk  she  must  and  would.  ]Mr.  Ried 
should  see  that  she  at  least  icanted  to  help. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"LET  US  BE   FASHIONABLE." 

NE  featui'e  of  the  hour  was  not  only 
entirely  new  to  the  boys,  but  gave 
them  a  curious  feeling,  the  name  of 
which  they  did  not  understand.  When 
the  last  one  sat  back  in  his  chair,  thereby  ad- 
mitting himself  vanquished,  Mrs.  Roberts,  look- 
ino-  at  the  voun2r  man  who  sat  at  the  foot  of  the 
table,  said :  — 

"  Will  you  return  thanks  ?  " 
What  did  that  mean  ?  To  be  sure  they  had 
heard  of  thanking  people,  but  even  they  were 
aware  that  it  was  an  unusual  thing  for  per- 
sons to  demand  thanks  for  themselves.  They 
watched;  behold,  the  young  man  l)owed  his 
head,  and  these  were  the  words  he  spoke  :  — 

"  Dear  Saviour,  we  thank  thee  for  the  joys  of 
this  evening.  We  pray  thee  to  teach  us  so  to 
live  that  we  may  all  meet  some  day  in  our 
Father's  house:     Amen." 

189 


190  Ester  Bled  "  Yet  SjJealniiff." 

The  boys  looked  at  one  another,  then  looked 
down  at  their  plates.  Their  sole  experience  of 
prayer  was  connected  with  the  South  End  Mis- 
sion. To  meet  it  at  a  supper-tahlc  Avas  a  reve- 
lation. Did  the  people  who  lived  in  grand 
houses,  and  had  such  wonderful  things  to  eat, 
alwa3's  pray  at  their  supper-tables?  This  was 
the  problem  which  they  were  turning  over  in 
their  minds. 

Returning  to  the  parlor,  Gracie  Avent  at  once 
to  the  piano.  She  had  spent  a  good  deal  of 
Monday,  settling  the  question  of  Avhat  to  play, 
and  had  chosen  the  most  sparkling  music  she 
could  find.  I  am  anxious  to  have  it  recorded, 
that,  all  uncultured  as  they  Avere,  these  boys 
neither  talked  nor  laughed  during  the  music, 
but  appeared  at  least  to  listen.  It  AA'as  Dirk 
Colson  Avho  sat  nearest  to  the  piano,  and  Avho 
listened  in,  that  indescribable  way  which  always 
flatters  a  musician. 

"  Do  you  like  it?  "  Gracie  asked,  running  off 
the  final  notes  in  a  tinkle  of  melody. 

His  dark  face  flushed  a  deep  red. 

"  I  dunno,"  he  said,  Avitli  an  awkward  laugh  ; 
"  it 's   queer   sounding.     I  don't  see  how  you 


"Xe^  us  be  FQ.sMonahle.''*  191 

make  so  many  tinkles.  Do  yon  make  all  your 
fiiio-ers  <?o  at  once  on  them  black  and  Avhite 
thin<Ts?" 

"  Not  quite ;  but  sometimes  they  have  to 
dance  about  in  a  very  lively  fashion.  I  have  to 
keep  my  wits  at  work,  I  assure  you." 

"  Is  it  hard  to  do  ?  " 

"  Not  very,  nowadays.  When  I  first  com- 
menced, the  practising  was  horrid  ;  I  hated  it." 

"  AVhat  made  you  do  it,  then?" 

"  Oh,  the  same  reason  which  makes  people 
do  a  great  many  things  that  they  don't  like,"  she 
said,  lightly ;  "  I  wanted  the  results.  I  knew 
if  I  worked  at  it  steadily  the  time  would  come 
wdien  I  should  not  only  enjoy  it  myself,  but  be 
able  to  give  pleasure  to  other  people.  AVhy  ? 
Don  t  you  ever  do  things  that  you  don't  par- 
ticularly like?" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  bestowed  on 
her  a  very  wise  look. 

"Often  enough,"  he  said  fiercely,  and  he 
thought  of  his  drunken  father.  "But  then  I 
would  n't  if  I  could  help  it." 

"  That  would  depend  on  whether  you  thought 
the  thing  would  pay  in  the  end,  would  it  not?" 


192  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking  J' 

Then,  •^'ithout  waiting  for  an  answer,  she  asked, 
"  What  is  j^our  business?" 

"My  business?"  with  a  curiously  puzzled 
air. 

"Yes  ;  how  do  you  spend  j'our  time?  " 

"  Hunting  up  something  to  eat,"  he  said,  with 
a  grim  smile  ;  visions  of  his  aimless  loafing  ap- 
pearing before  him  as  the  only  occupation  he 
could  be  said  to  hav'c.  It  had  not  occurred  to 
him  to  try  to  mislead  her,  but  she  evidently  did 
not  understand. 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  said,  seriously,  "so  I  sup- 
pose. Is  n't  it  queer  ho^v  busy  men  and  women 
have  to  be  day  after  day,  and  year  after  year, 
just  getting  themselves  and  others  something  to 
eat?  Do  you  have  other  people  to  help  get  it 
for?  INIothcr,  for  instance,  and  little  brothers 
and  sisters  ?  " 

"  I  'vc  got  a  mother,"  he  said,  "and  a  sister." 

"And  that  makes  work  easier,  does  it  not? 
I  alwa3's  thought  it  would  be  stupid  to  work  all 
the  time  just  for  one's  self.  But  I  meant,  What 
do  you  work  at  in  order  to  get  the  something  to 
eat,  —  there  are  so  many  different  ways?" 

"  How  do  you  know  I  work  at  all?" 


"Xe<  us  be  Fashionable."  193 

Dirk's,  voice  was  growing  sullen  ;  a  conscious- 
ness that  he  v.'ould  appear  at  a  disadvantage  in 
admitting  himself  an  idler  in  a  busy  world  was 
dawning  upon  hiin  as  an  entirely  new  idea.  At 
his  question,  Gracie  turned  on  her  music-stool 
and  regarded  him  with  surprise. 

"  AVhy,  of  course  you  work,"  she  said ;  "peo- 
ple all  do." 

She  was  not  acting  a  part.  Her  experience 
among  poor  people  was  limited  to  that  out- 
wardly respectable  class  who,  however  dicrepu- 
table  their  conduct  might  be  on  Sabbath,  had, 
nevertheless  a  Monday  occupation  with  which 
they  pretended  to  earn  a  living. 

Dirk  shrugged  his  shoulders  again. 

"  Do  they  ?  "  he  said. 

Her  evident  ignorance  of  the  world  made  him 
good-natured.  She  was  not  trying  to  preach  to 
him,  he  decided.  A  thing  which  Dirk  hated, 
in  common  with  all  persons  of  his  class. 

But  the  lull  in  the  music  had  started  conver- 
sation in  other  parts  of  the  room. 

Dirk  heard  young  Ried's  question  :  — 

"Mrs.  Roberts,  do  you  know  of  any  young 
man  looking   for   work?     I   heard  of  a   good 


194  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:* 

situation  this  afternoon.  Oh,  there  are  plenty 
of  applicants,  but  the  gentleman  is  an  old  friend 
of  my  brother-in-law,  and  I  could  speak  a  help- 
ful word  for  somebody." 

"  I  have  no  one  in  mind,"  Mrs;  Roberts  said, 
and  she  glanced  eagerly  at  the  boys,  lounging 
in  various  attitudes  in  her  easy  chairs.  Only 
three  of  them  she  knew  made  any  pretence  of 
earning  their  livinjy.  Did  Alfred  mean  one  of 
them?  "'Here  is  a  chance  for  you,  young  gen- 
tlemen," she  saidj  lightly,  "  who  bids  for  a 
situation  ?  " 

"What  is  the  place?" 

It  was  Dirk  Colson  who  asked  the  question. 
Ever  since  he  could  remember  he  was  supposed 
to  have  been  hunting  for  work,  but  I  am  not 
sure  that  he  ever  felt  quite  such  a  desire  to  find 
it  as  at  that  moment. 

"It  is  at  Gra3''s,  on  Ninth  Street,  a  good 
chance  ;  but  the  one  who  secures  it  must  have  a 
fair  Ivnowledije  of  fiii^ures." 

"Oh,  land  !  "  said  Dirk,  sinking  lower  in  his 
easy-chair.     "  No  use  in  me  asking  about  it." 

"Are  figures  your  Aveak  point?"  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts asked,  smiling  on  him.     "  I  can  sympathize 


"Xe^  us  be  Fashionable."  195 

with  you  ;  I  had  to  work  harder  over  arith- 
metic than  at  any  other  study ;  but  I  learned  to 
like  it.  Do  you  know  I  think  it  would  be  a 
favorite  study  Avith  you  ?  It  is  so  nice  to  con- 
quer an  obstinate-looking  row  of  figures,  and 
fairly  oblige  the  right  result  to  appear.  What 
did  you  find  hardest  about  the  study,  Mr.  Col- 
son?" 

The  others  chuckled,  but  Dirk  glowered  at 
them  fiercely. 

"There's  nothin'  to  laugh  about  as  I  see,"  he 
said.  "  I  did  n't  find  nothin'  hard,  because  I 
never  had  no  chance  to  try.  I  never  went  to 
no  school,  nor  had  books,  nor  nothin' ;  now 
that 's  the  truth,  and  I  'm  blamed  if  I  ain't  ooinGf 
to  own  it." 

"  What  a  good  thing  it  is  that  you  are  young." 
This  was  her  animated  answer.  "  There  is  a 
chance  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  Mr.  Ried,  I 
have  such  a  nice  idea.  I  heard  you  and  Dr. 
Everett  speaking  of  the  Literary  Club  the  other 
night.  Why  cannot  we  have  a  literary  club  of 
our  o\Yn?  A  readinc:  circle,  or  somethino^  of 
that  sort?  Suppose  we  should  meet  once  a 
week   and   read   aloud  something    interesting, 


196  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Spealcing .  '* 

and  lisivc  ttilks  about  it  afterwards.  Do  3*ca 
ever  read  aloud?" 

If  Mrs.  Roberts  in  all  sincerity  had  not  boon 
one  of  the  most  simple-hearted,  and  in  somo 
respects  ignorant  little  creatures  on  the  face  of 
the  globe,  she  could  never,  with  serious  face, 
have  addressed  such  a  question  to  Nimble  Dick. 

Young  Ried  could  not  have  done  it,  for  ho 
realized  the  folly  of  supposing  that  Niml)lc  Dick 
ever  read  anything.  By  just  so  muclnvas  Mrs. 
Roberts  ahead  of  him.  She  supposed  that  these 
boys  had  their  literature,  and  read  it,  and  per- 
haps met  somewhere  on  occasion  and  read  to- 
gether. This  made  it  possible  for  her  to  ask 
surprising  questions  with  honest  face. 

"  Bless  me  !  "  said  Nimble  Dick,  startled  into 
an  upright  posture  ;  "  oh,  no,  mum,  never." 

And  even  Dirk  Colson  laughed  at  the  expres- 
sion on  his  face. 

"  Still  I  think  you  woidd  enjoy  it,  after  a  lit- 
tle practice,  and  I  can't  help  fancying  you  would 
make  a  good  reader." 

The  boys  were  all  laughing  now,  Nimble 
Dick  with  the  rest. 

"You're  in  for  an  awful  blunder  there,"  ho 


^'Let  us  be  Fashionable.'"  197 

said,  good-naturedly.  "I'm  like  Black  Dirk, 
never  had  no  chances,  and  did  n't  do  nothin' 
worth  speakin'  of  Avith  them  that  I  had.  Why, 
bless  your  body,  mum !  I  can't  even  read  to 
myself!  I  make  the  awfulest  work  you  ever 
heard  of  spcllin'  out  the  show-bills.  I  have  to 
get  Black  Dirk  to  help  me  ;  and  him  and  me  is 
a  team." 

By  this  time  Dirk's  face  had  lost  its  smile, 
and  his  fierce  eyes  were  flashing ;  but  the  host- 
ess was  serene. 

"  That  does  n't  prove  anything  against  my 
statement.  I  was  speaking  of  what  could  be, 
not  necessarily  of  what  was.  Let  us  have  a 
club.  The  more  I  think  of  the  plan  the  more 
it  pleases  me.  I  '11  tell  you  !  The  word  "club  " 
does  n't  quite  suit  me.  Let  us  be  fashionable. 
Gracie,  don't  you  know  how  fashionable  it  is 
becoming  to  have  '  evenings '  set  apart  for  spe- 
cial occasions?  Mr.  Ried,  you  know  Mrs. 
Judson's  '  Tuesday  evenings,'  and  Mrs.  Sym- 
ond's  'Friday  evenings?'  Very  well,  let  us 
have  our  '  Monday  evenings,'  in  which  we  will 
do  all  sorts  of  nice  thinifs :  sometimes  literary, 
sometimes  musical,  and  sometimes  —  well,  any- 


198  Ester  Hied  **  Yet  Speaking . " 

thing  that  we  please.  What  do  you  say,  gentle- 
men ;  shall  Ave  organize?  Mr.  Ried,  Avill  you 
give  Monday  evenings  to  us?  Gracie,  you  are 
my  guest,  and  cannot,  of  course,  refuse." 

It  was  a  novel  idea,  certainly.  Even  Alfred, 
while  trying  to  heartily  second  her,  was  in 
doubt  as  to  what  she  could  hope  to  accomplish 
by  it.  As  for  the  boys,  not  one  of  them  prom- 
ised to  attend;  but  neither  did  they  refuse. 
Mrs.  Roberts  presently  left  the  subject,  seeming 
to  consider  her  point  carried,  and -proposed  a 
visit  to  the  conservatory. 

I  think  it  very  doubtful  whether  the  boy  lives 
who  does  not  like  flowers.  There  are  those  who 
seem  to  consider  it  a  mark  of  manliness  to  affect 
indifference  to  them ;  but  these,  as  they  grow 
older  —  become  real  men  —  generally  lay  this 
bit  of  folly  aside.  Then  there  are  those,  plenty 
of  them,  who  really  do  not  know  that  they  care 
for  flowers.  The  bo3's,  ushered  for  the  first 
time  in  their  lives  into  the  full  bloom  of  a  con- 
servatory, were,  most  of  them,  of  this  latter 
stamp. 

"What  a  scene  of  beauty  it  was  !  Great  white 
callas,  bending  their  graceful  cups ;  great  red 


"Ze^  us  be  Fashionable."  199 

and  yellow  roses,  making  the  air  rich  with  their 
breath ;  vines  and  mosses  and  ferns  and  small 
flowers  in  almost  endless  variety.  Alfred  and 
Gracie  moved  among  the  glories ;  the  latter  ex- 
hausting all  her  superlatives  in  honest  delight, 
although  she  had  visited  the  spot  a  dozen  times 
that  day ;  and  Alfred,  who  had  been  less 
favored,  was  hardly  less  eager  and  responsive 
than  she.  But  Mrs.  Roberts  watched  the  boys. 
It  was  all  very  well  for  those  two  to  enjoy  her 
flowers ;  of  course  they  would.  But  what 
language  would  the  silent,  lovely  things  speak 
to  her  untutored  boys?  They  said  not  a  word  ; 
not  one  of  them.  The}"^  made  no  exclamations ; 
they  had  no  superlatives  at  command.  But 
Stephen  Crowley  stooped  before  a  lovely  car- 
nation, and  smelled,  and  smelled,  drawing  in 
long  breaths,  as  though  he  meant  to  take  its 
fragrance  all  away  with  him  ;  and  Kimble  Dick 
picked  up  the  straying  end  of  an  iv}^  and  re- 
stored it  to  its  support  again,  in  a  way  that  was 
not  to  be  lost  sisfht  of  l)y  one  who  was  lookinsc 
for  hearts ;  and  Dirk  Colson  brushed  back  his 
matted  hair  and  stood  long  before  a  great,  pure 
lily,  and  looked  down  into  its  heart  with  an 


200  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

expression  on  bis  face  that  his  teacher  never 
forgot. 

She  came  over  to  him  presently,  standing  l)e- 
sidc  hiin,  saying  nothing.  Then  at  hist  she 
reached  forth  her  hand  and  broke  the  lily  from 
its  stalk.  He  started,  almost  as  if  somethinsr 
had  struck  him. 

"  "What  did  you  do  that  for?  "  And  his  voice 
•was  fierce. 

"  I  "v\'ant  you  to  take  this  for  me  to  your 
sister  —  the  girl  with  beautiful  golden  hair ;  I 
saw  her  one  day,  and  I  shall  remember  her  hair 
and  eyes.  She  Avill  like  this  flower,  and  she 
•will  like  you  to  bring  it  to  her. 

"  Gracic  "  —  raisinir  her  voice  —  ""father  some 
flowers  "will  you,  and  make  into  bouquets? 
These  young  gentlemen  will  like  to  carry  them 
to  some  one.  There  must  be  mothers  at  home 
■who  will  enjoy  bouquets  brought  by  their  sons." 

Over  this  gently-spoken  sentence  Nimble 
Dick  laughed  a  hard,  derisive  laugh.  It  made 
the  dark  blood  flow  into  black  Dirk's  indignant 
face.  Even  Alfred  Ried  lost  self-control  for  a 
moment,  and  flashed  a  glance  at  hira  out  of 
angry  eyes.     How  could  there  be  any  hope  of 


'■'Let  us  be  Fashionable.'''  201 

a  boy  who  sneered  at  his  mother?  Yet  you 
need  not  judge  him  too  harshly. 

He  thought  of  his  mother,  indeed,  "when  he 
lauo-hed  ;  but  ahis  !  he  thouo-ht  of  her  as  drunk. 
And  he  knew  her  scarcely  at  all,  save  as  that 
■word  described  her.  How  could  "  mother " 
mean  to  him  what  it  meant  to  Alfred  Eied? 
what  it  meant  even  to  Dirk  Colson,  whose 
mother,  Aveak  indeed  in  body  and  spirit,  full  of 
complaining  w'ords,  oftentimes  weakly  bitter 
w^ords  to  him,  yet  patched  his  clothes  so  long 
as  she  could  get  patches  and  thread,  and  would 
have  washed  them  if  she  could  have  got  soap, 
and  been  able  to  bring  the  water,  and  if  lier  only 
tub  hadn't  been  in  pawn.  Oh,  yes,  there  are 
degrees  in  mothers. 

Mrs.  Roberts,  meantime,  broke  off  blossoms 
•with  lavish  hand,  and  made  bouquets  for  Nimble 
Dick  and  for  Dirk.  He  took  the  bright-hued 
ones  with  a  smile,  but  the  lily  he  held  by  itself, 
and  still  looked  at  it. 

They   w^ent  away  at   last   noisily ;    growing 

almost,  if  not  quite,  rough  towards  one  another, 

at  least,  and  directly  they  were  out  of  the  door, 

.Nimble  Dick  gave  a  whoop  that  would  have 


202  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Sjieaking." 

chilled  the  blood  of  nervous  women.  But 
matron  and  maiden  looked  at  each  other  and 
laughed. 

"  "We  have  kept  them  pent  up  all  the  evening, 
and  that  is  the  escape-valve  being  raised  to 
avoid  a  general  explosion."  This  was  Mrs. 
Roberts'  explanation. 

They  were  quite  alone.  Alfred,  on  being  in- 
vited  in  low  tones  to  tarry  and  talk  things  over, 
had  shaken  his  head,  and  replied,  signifi- 
cantly :  — 

"  Thank  3'ou  !  no ;  I  am  one  of  them,  and 
must  stand  on  the  same  level." 

"You  are  right,"  Mrs.  Roberts  said,  smilingly ; 
"you  must  have  been  an  apt  pupil,  my  friend. 
That  dear  sister  taught  you  a  great  deal." 

He  held  up  the  bouquet  which  she  had  made 
for  him. 

"  I  am  going  to  put  it  before  Ester's  picture," 
he  said;  "her  work  is  going  on." 

"Well,"  said  Gracie,  "it  is  over,  and  we 
lived  through  it.  And  they  did  all  come  !  I 
am  amazed  over  that !  And  how  they  did  eat! 
I  suppose  the  next  thing  is  to  open  all  the  win- 
dows and  air  out.     Flossy  Roberts,  I  'm  afraid ' 


^'Let  us  be  Fashionable. ''  203 

you  fire  going  insane.  The  idea  of  your  inviting 
that  horde  here  every  Monday.  What  a  parlor 
you  would  have  !  And  they  would  breed  a 
pestilence  !  They  won't  come,  to  be  sure  ;  but 
just  imagine  it  if  they  should  !  I  really  think 
Mr.  Roberts  ought  to  send  you  home  for  Dr. 
Mitchell  to  look  after.  Well,  Flossy,  what 
next?" 

"Next,  dear,  you  must  pra^^  Pray  as  you 
never  have  done  before,  for  the  souls  of  these 
boj^s,  and  for  the  success  of  my  '  Monday  even- 
ings.' Gracie,  we  are  at  work  for  immortal 
souls.  Think  of  it !  they  must  live  forever. 
Shall  they,  through  all  eternity,  keep  dropping 
lower  and  lower,  or  shall  they  wear  crowns  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


"  SOMETHING  'S   HAPPENED ! " 

ALLIE  CALKINS  sat  in  a  common 
little  rocking-chair  and  rocked ;  and 
while  she  rocked  she  sewed,  setting 
neat  stitches  in  a  brown  coat  which 
was  already  patched  and  darned  and  was  thread- 
bare in  many  places.  There  was  a  look  of 
deep  content  on  Sallie's  face.  There  were  many 
reasons  for  it. 

Dr.  Everett  had  that  morning  pronounced 
]\fark's  broken  limb  to  be  healing  rapidly.  He 
had  also  reported  that  Mark's  place  was  to  be 
held  open  for  him  by  his  employers.  At  this 
present  moment,  iNIark,  arrayed  in  a  clean  shirt, 
was  resting  on  a  very  white  sheet,  his  head 
reposing  on  a  real  feather  pillow  dressed  in 
white  and  frilled.  Over  him  was  carefully 
spread  another  of  those  wonderful  she.ets,  and 
to  make  the  crowning  glory,  a  Avhite  quilt,  warm 
and  soft,  tucked  him  in  on  every  side.     How 

204 


'^Something's  Happened!"  205 

could  Sallie  l)ut  rejoice?  All  about  the  room 
there  had  been  changes.  A  neat  little  table 
stood  at  the  bed's  side.  It  was  covered  with  Ji 
white  cloth,  and  a  china  bowl  set  thereon  with 
a  silver  spoon  beside  it ;  a  delicate  goblet 
and  china  pitcher  also,  both  carefully  covered 
with  a  napkin.  Did  ]Mrs.  Roberts  know  how 
homely  Sallie  gloried  in  the  thinness  of  that 
china  and  the  fineness  of  that  napkin?  How 
does  it  h;ippen  that  some  of  the  very  poor  seem 
born  with  such  aesthetic  tastes?  ]\irs.  Roberts 
had  intuitions,  and  was  given  to  certain  acts, 
concerning  which  she  could  not  give  to  others 
satisfactory  explanations.  Therefore,  she  some- 
times left  china  wdiere  others  would  have  judged 
the  plainest  stoneware  more  prudent  and 
sensible. 

A  bit  of  bright  carpet  was  spread  at  the  side 
of  the  bed.  A  fire  glowed  in  the  neatly-brushed 
stove.  A  white  muslin  curtain  hung  at  the 
window  ;  and  the  chair  in  which  Sallie  rocked 
and  sewed  was  new  and  gayly  painted. 

There  Avere  other  traces  of  Mrs.  Roberts. 
You  might  not  have  noticed  them,  but  it  seemed 
to  Sallie  that  her  lingers  had  touched  every- 


206  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speahing:' 

■where.  Yet  the  ladv  herself  thought  that  sho 
had  done  very  little.  She  had  held  her  inclina- 
tions in  check  Avith  severe  judgment. 

The  door  opened  softly,  and  a  mass  of  golden 
hair,  from  out  of  -which  peered  great  eyes,  peeped 
cautiously  in. 

"Alone?"  it  said,  nodding  first  toward  the 
figure  on  the  bed,  and  intimating  that  she  was 
aware  of  Mark's  presence,  and  did  not  mean  him. 

"  Yes,"  said  Sallie,  "  come  in  ;  Mark 's  asleep, 
but  you  won't  disturb  him  ;  he  don't  disturb 
eas}' ;  he  sleeps  just  like  a  baby  since  the  doctor 
stopped  that  pain  in  his  knee.  There  's  my  new 
chair ;  just  try  it  and  sec  how  nice  it  is." 

Saying  which,  she  got  herself  out  of  the  little 
rocker  in  haste,  and  i)ushedit  toward  her  guest, 
meantime  taking  a  plain  W'Ooden  chair,  also 
new,  and  adding  :  — 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  anybody  like  her 
before?" 

"Something's  happened  !"  said  iSIart  Colson, 
ignoring  the  reference  to  the  mysterious  pro- 
noun, —  her  voice  so  full  of  a  new  and  strange 
meaning  that  had  Sallie  been  acquainted  Avith 
the  word  she  might  have  said  it  was  filled  with 
awe. 


"Something's  Happened!"'  207 

As  it  was,  she  only  exclaimed,  "  What?  "  in  an 
intensely  interested  tone. 

"  Why,  look  here  !  I  brought  it  along  to 
show  you." 

AYhereupon  she  produced  from  under  her 
piece  of  torn  shawl  a  large  broken-nosed 
pitcher,  a  piece  of  In'own  paper  carefully  tied 
over  the  top.  She  untied  the  bit  of  calico 
string  with  fingers  that  shook  from  excitement. 

'■  Look  in  tl!ere ! "  she  exclaimed  at  last, 
triumph  in  her  tone,  reaching  forward  the 
pitcher. 

Sallie  looked,  and  drew  in  her  breath  with  a 
long,  expressive  "  0-h  !  " 

There,  reposing  in  stately  beauty,  lay  the 
great  white  lily  with  its  golden  bell. 

"Yes,  I  should  think  so  !  "  Mart  said,  satisfied 
with  the  expression.  "  Did  you  ever  see  any- 
thing like  that  before?  It  ain't  made  of  wax 
nor  anything  else  thdi  folks  ever  made.  It's 
alive  !  I  felt  of  it.  It  looks  like  velvet  and 
satin  and  all  them  lovely  store  things ;  but  it 
does  n't  feel  so ;  it  feels  alive,  and  it  grew. 
But,  Sallie  Calkins,  if  you  should  live  a 
hundred   years,   and  guess  all   the   time,   you 


208  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking r 

ncvei"  could  jxncss  "wlicrc  I  g'ot  it.  Sallic 
Culkins,  if  you  'II  believe  it,  Dirk  gave  it  to  mc  I " 

"Dii-k?" 

"  Yes,  he  did  !  " 

Who  would  Inivc  supposed  jNIart  Colson's 
voice  capable  of  such  a  triumphant  ring? 

"  You  sec  the  wav  of  it  was  :  Last  nio-ht  he 
didn't  come  for  his  supper  at  all,  and  that 
always  scares  me  dreadful.  I  'm  expecting 
something  to  happen,  you  know.  Father,  he 
did  n't  come  cither ;  for  the  matter  of  that,  he 
has  n't  come  j'et ;  and  mother,  she  was  awful 
tired,  and  had  n't  had  no  dinner  to  speak  of,  and 
she  just  broke  down  and  took  on  awful. 
Mother  don't  often  cry,  and  it's  good  she  don't, 
for  she  just  goes  into  it  with  all  her  might  when 
the  time  comes.  It  was  n't  about  father  —  she 's 
used  to  him,  you  know,  and  don't  expect  noth- 
ing else ;  but  Dirk  drives  her  wild  Avitli  what 
may  happen  to  him.  I  was  worried  about  him, 
too,  but  I  was  mad  at  him  ;  it  seemed  too  awful 
mean  in  him  to  stay  away  and  scare  mother.  At 
last  I  got  her  to  go  to  bed,  and  she  was  all 
tuckered  out,  and  went  to  sleep. 

"  Then  I  wrapped  myself  in  the  quilt  and  sat 


''SometJiing's  Happened!''  209 

down  to  wait ;  but  I  got  asleep,  and  I  dreamed 
I  saw  Jier;  she  bad  wings  to  esicb  side  of  ber, 
and  sbe  flew  over  tbe  tops  of  all  tbese  bouses 
and  made  tbem  turn  wbite  like  tbe  snow  looks 
wben  it  is  coming  down  before  it  drops  into  tbe 
gutters.  Wasn't  tbat  queer?  Well,  some 
noise  woke  me  up.  I  was  sitting  flat  on  tbe 
floor  by  motber,  and  I  sat  up  straigbt  all  of  a 
tremble.  And  tbere  was  tbe  old  stool,  and  tbe 
brown  pitcber  on  it,  balf-full  of  water,  and  tbis 
wonderful  tbing  stood  in  it  looking  at  me.  And 
Dirk,  be  stood  off  tbe  otber  side  looking  at  it. 

■' '  It 's  for  3'ou,  and  sbe  sent  it.'  Tbat's  wbat 
he  said  to  me  ;  and  I  was  n't  real  wide  av/ake, 
you  know.  I  suppose  tbat's  wbat  made  bis 
voice  sound  so  queer ;  and  wbat  do  you  tbink  I 
said?  I  was  tbinking  of  my  dream,  and  says 
I:  'Didsbebave  ber  wino-s  on?'  Tben  Dirk 
made  a  queer  noise;  it  was  a  laugb,  but  it 
sounded  most  like  a  cry.  '  I  guess  so,'  says 
be,  and  tben  he  turned  and  went  off  to  bed. 
And  I  can't  get  any  more  out  of  him  ;  be  is  as 
snarly  wben  I  ask  any  questions  as  though  be  was 
mild  about  it  all.  If  it  bad  n't  been  for  this 
great   wbite  tbing  I   might  have  thought  tbis 


210  Ester  Rled  "  Yet  Speaking." 

morning  that  it  all  belonged  to  the  dream.  But 
Dirk  brought  this  home  from  somewhere,  and 
put  it  in  the  pitcher,  and  give  it  to  me  his  own 
self;  that's  sure." 

The  story  closed  in  triumph. 

"  It  is  beautiful ! "  said  Sallie,  the  brown 
jacket  slipping  to  the  .floor,  while  she  bent  over 
the  lily.  "It  is  beautiful,  all  of  it,  and  it  looks 
just  like  her,  and  sounds  like  her,  wings  and 
all ;  of  course  she  sent  it." 

"  And  Dirk  ])rought  it."  That  part  of  the 
story  Mart  Colson  did  not  forget. 

Sometimes  it  seems  to  me  a  pity  that  hearts 
are  not  laid  bare  to  the  gaze  of  others.  What, 
for  instance,  might  not  this  little  incident  have 
done  for  Dirk  Colson  had  he  known  how  the 
starved  heart  of  his  sister  fed  on  the  thought 
that  he  brought  her  the  flower  ? 

Still,  on  the  other  hand,  I  don't  know  Avhat 
the  efiect  would  have  been  on  Mart  had  she 
known  what  a  tremendous  amount  of  courage  it 
had  taken  to  present  the  flower  to  her.  A  dozen 
times  on  the  way  home  had  Dirk  been  on  the 
point  of  consigning  it  to  the  gutter.  He  carry 
home  a  flower !     If  it  hud  been  a  loaf  of  bread 


** Something 's  Happened!^''  211 

he  thought  it  would  be  more  consistent.  Some- 
way he  recognized  a  fine  sarcasm  in  the  thought 
that  he,  who  had  never  in  his  life  contributed 
towards  the  necessities  of  the  family,  should 
carry  to  that  dreary  home  a  flower !  Yet  the 
fair  lily  did  its  work  well  during  that  long  walk 
from  East  Fifty-fifth  Street  to  the  shadow  of 
the  alley.  It  made  Dirk  Colson  tell  it  fiercely 
that  he  hated  himself;  that  he  was  a  brute  and 
a  loafer,  — a  blot  on  the  earth,  and  ought  not  to 
live.  Why  did  n't  he  go  to  work  ?  Why  did  n't 
he  have  things  to  bring  home  to  Mart  every 
little  while,  as  Mark  Calkins  did  to  Sallie? 
Had  n't  he  seen  Mark,  only  a  few  evenings  be- 
fore he  was  hurt,  with  a  pair  of  girl's  shoes 
strung  over  his  shoulder,  and  heard  him  whistle 
as  he  ran,  two  steps  at  a  time,  up  the  rickety 
stairs?  What  would  Mart  think  if  he  should 
bring  her  home  a  pair  of  shoes  ?  What  Avould 
she  think  of  his  bringing  her  a  flower?  She 
would  sneer,  of  course  ;  and,  in  the  mood  which 
then  possessed  him.  Dirk  said  angrily  that  she 
had  a  right  to  sneer,  and  would  be  a  fool  not  to  ; 
and  vet  he  hated  the  thought  of  it.  There  was 
nothing  in  life  that  Dirk  hated  more  than  sneers ; 


212  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

and  he  had  been  fed  on  them  ever  since  he  could 
remember. 

He  was  altogether  unprepared  for  the  recep- 
tion which  the  lily  received.  That  suggestion 
about  wings,  which  seemed  so  apt,  had  brought 
the  "  queer  "  sound  to  his  voice  that  Mart  had 
noticed.  If  onl}^  she  had  understood,  and  not 
spoiled,  next  morning,  the  effect  of  her  words. 

In  the  prosaic  daN'light,  the  illusion  of  '*  wings  " 
being  banished,  she  was  bent  on  knowing  how 
Dirk  came  into  possession  of  the  lily. 

"Who  sent  it.  Dirk?  I  don't  believe  anybody 
told  you  to  give  it  to  me.  "Who  would  care 
about  my  having  a  flower?  Where  did  you  get 
it?" 

"  Where  do  yo\x  s'pose  ?  "  Dirk's  voice  was 
ominously  gruff.  It  is  a  painful  truth  that  by 
daylight  he  was  ashamed  of  his  part  of  the  trans- 
action. "  I  told  you  she  sent  it.  It 's  noways 
likel}'^  that  I  'd  take  the  trouble  to  make  up  a  lie 
about  that  weed.  How  do  I  know  -what  she 
wanted  you  to  have  it  for?  Maybe  she  thought 
it  matched  your  looks." 

There  was  a  bitter  sneer  in  Dirk's  voice,  yet 
all  the  time  he  heard  the  sweet,  low  voice  say- 


''Sojiielhing's  Ilccpjyened  V  213 

ing,  "  That  girl  with  the  beautiful  golden  hair." 
Suppose  he  should  tell  Mart  that?  Why  not? 
Let  me  tell  you  that  Dirk  Colson  would  not 
have  repeated  that  sentence  for  the  world  !  And 
yet  he  did  not  know  why. 

Mart's  face  burned  red  under  his  sneer. 

"  How  am  I  to  know  who  '  she '  is  ?  "  she  said, 
in  bitter  scorn.  "  Some  of  your  bar-room 
beauties,  for  whom  you  dance  and  whistle,  I 
suppose.  You  can  tell  her  I  would  rather  have 
my  shawl  out  of  pawn,  or  some  shoes  for  my 
feet,  enough  sight.  AYhat  do  I  care  for  a  great 
flower  mocking  at  me?" 

"  Pitch  it  into  the  fire,  then ;  and  it  Avill  be 
many  a  long  d:iy  before  I  bring  you  anything 
else,"  said  Dirk,  pushing  himself  angrily  back 
from  the  table,  where  he  had  been  eating  bread 
dipped  in  a  choice  bit  of  pork  fat. 

"  There  is  n't  a  bit  of  danger  of  my  doing 
that,"  she  called  after  him,  mockingly.  "There 
is  n't  a  spunk  of  fire,  nor  likely  to  be  to-day, 
unless  some  of  your  admirers  send  me  a  shovel 
of  coal.     Mercy  knows,  I  wish  they  would." 

He  mercifully  lost  part  of  this  sentence, 
for   the   reason   that   before    it  was   concluded 


214  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking.*' 

he  v^-as  moving  with  long,  angiy  strides  up 
the  alle}'. 

And  then  Mart  took  the  broken-nosed  pitcher 
away  into  the  furthermost  corner,  although  she 
was  alone  in  the  room,  and  laid  her  face  against 
the  cool,  pure  lily,  and  wept  into  it  great  Ijurning 
tears.  Poor,  ignorant  soul !  She  wanted,  oh, 
how  she  wanted  Dirk  to  be  brave  and  good  like 
Mark  Calkins  —  her  one  type  of  manhood.  Yet 
she  did  not  know  that  she  was  crushing  out  the 
germ  which  might  h;ivc  grown  in  his  heart. 
True,  she  knew  herself  to  be  very  different  from 
Sallie,  but  the  thought,  poor  soul,tliat  that  was 
because  Mark  w^as  so  different  from  Dirk. 

Is  n't  it  a  pity  that  the  sweet-faced  lily  could 
not  have  told  its  tender  story  to  both  these 
ignorant  ones? 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"WHAT  MADE  HER  DIFFERENT?" 

HAVE  heard  a  good  deiil  about  your 
sister  that  has  interested  me.  Do  you 
like  to  talk  of  her?" 
This  ^vas  the  question  which  Gracie 
Dennis  asked  of  young  Ried  as  he  stood  beside 
her  at  the  piano.  She  had  been  playing,  and 
had  come  to  the  music  alcove  for  the  purpose  of 
turnino-  her  music ;  but  now  she  was  touchino; 
sweet  chords  here  and  there  aimlessly,  and 
waiting  for  his  answer. 

At  the  further  end  of  the  parlor  Mrs.  Roberts 
was  entertaining  a  caller ;  but  the  distance  be- 
tween them  was  so  great  that,  in  effect,  the 
j'^oung  people  were  alone. 

"  I  like  nothing  better  than  to  talk  of  her,'' 
Mr.  Ried  said,  with  animation;  "but  I  don't 
know  so  much  about  her  as  I  wish  I  did.  She 
went  away  when  I  was  quite  young.     I  used  to 

215 


21G  Ester  Rled  "  Yet  Sjpeahing:' 

say  *  she  died,'  but  since  I  have  awakened  to  see 
her  cherished  plans  being  carried  on  all  around 
me  I  cannot  think  of  her  as  dead." 

"  That  is  "what  I  want  to  talk  about, —  her 
work,  or  her  plans  for  work.  What  made  her 
so  different  from  other  people,  Mr.  Eied. 
WasnH  she  different?" 

The  young  man  regarded  the  question  thought- 
fully before  answering. 

"Xot  from  all  the  people,"  he  said  at  last ; 
"  but  certtiinly  very  different  from  some.  I 
used  to  think  that  all  Christians  were  like  her, 
of  course ;  then,  when  I  saw  my  mistake,  I 
went  to  the  other  extreme,  and  thought  there 
were  none  like  her  on  earth.  I  have  discovered 
that  the  medium  position  is  the  correct  one." 

"  But  what  I  want  to  know  is,  what  made 
her  different?  It  was  n't  her  age.  Mrs.  Kob- 
crts  thinks  she  was  young  ?  " 

"  She  was  hardly  nineteen  Avhen  she  died. 
Oh,  no,  it  was  n't  age ;  she  told  me  that  she 
used  to'  be  very  different.  She  was  a  Christian 
from  childhood,  but  she  said  that  she  v.. -is 
ashamed  to  claim  the  name.  There  was  notli- 
ing  Christlike  about  her ;    still  she  was  a  mem- 


"  What  made  Her  Different  ?  "  217 

ber  of  the  Church.  As  I  remember  her,  and 
as  I  look  at  other  people,  my  judgment  is 
that,  in  her  early  Christian  life,  she  was  much 
like  most  of  the  Christians  with  whom  you  and 
I  are  familiar." 

"  And  what  made  her  different  ?  Was  it  — 
that  is — do  you  think  it  was  because  she  Avas 
to  die  so  soon  that  she  had  a  special  experi- 
ence? " 

"Not  at  all,"  he  said,  promptly  ;  "it  was  be- 
fore she  realized  anything  about  her  condition 
that  the  great  change  took  place  in  her.  My 
brother-in-law  sa3^s  that  she  supposed  herself  to 
be  in  perfect  health  at  the  time  when  she  was 
most  marked  in  her  Christian  life." 

"Ah  !  but  you  don't  understand  ;  I  mean  more 
than  that.  It  is  difficult  to  tell  what  I  mean  ; 
I  mean  —  but  you  know,  of  course,  God  knew 
that  she  was  soon  to  2:0  to  heaven.  I  thouo;ht, 
perhaps,  he  gave  her  a  special  experience  on 
that  account." 

"X6;  oh,  no,"  he  said,  speaking  with  great 
earnestness.  "  Ester  was  particularly  anxious 
that  no  one  should  suppose  her  experience  ex- 
ceptional.    Little  fellow  though  I  was,  it  seemed 


218  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking r 

to  be  her  desire  that  I  should  fully  understand 
this.  *  Don't  let  anybody  make  you  think  that 
because  you  are  a  little  boy  you  must  be  a  sort 
of  half-way  Christian,'  she  used  to  say,  and  her 
eyes  would  glow  with  feeling.  'I  tried  that 
way  for  years,'  she  said,  '  and  I  want  you  to 
understand  that  it  is  not  only  sinful,  but  there 
is  not  a  particle  of  happiness  to  be  gotten  out 
of  it  —  not  a  particle  ;  and  I  would  give  almost 
nothing  for  what  such  a  Christian  can  accom- 
plish. The  harm  one  does,  more  than  overbal- 
ances all  efibrt  for  Christ.'  I  think,  perhaps, 
she  felt  more  deeply  on  that  than  on  almost  any 
subject ;  and  it  was  because  she  thought  she  had 
wasted  so  many  j^ears." 

"  Then  do  you  think  that  there  is,  or  rather 
that  there  should  be,  no  difference  in  Christians? 
Have  all  the  same  work  to  do?" 

"  Not  that,  quite,  of  course,  —  or,  1  don't 
know,  either.  Is  n't  it  all  different  forms  of  the 
Master's  work.  The  children  of  the  home  may 
have  each  a  different  task,  but  each  is  needed  to 
make  the  homo  what  it  should  be,  and  each 
Vv'orker  needs  the  same  spirit  of  love  and  unsel- 
fi^ilmcss  to  enable  him  to  do  his  part.     It  is  u't 


"  What  made  Her  Different  9  "         219 

a  perfect  illustration,  Miss  Dennis.  I'm  not 
skillful  in  that  direction  ;  but  /  know  Avliat  I 
mean,  and  that  is  a  comfort." 

"And  I  know  what  you  mean,"  Gracie  said, 
not  joining  in  his  laugh ;  "  but  I  am  not  sure 
that  I  believe  it.  Why,  Mr.  Ried,  that  would 
make  a  very  solemn  thino-  of  livino-." 

"Well,  did  you  suppose  it  was  other  than 
solemn?  I'm  sure  it  makes  a  triumphant  thing 
of  it,  too  ;  and  without  it  we  are  only  a  lot  of 
wax  figures,  dancing  to  pass  the  time  away." 

"  But  don't  you  really  think  that  people  have 
a  right  to  have  any  nice  times?" 

"  Miss  Dennis,  did  you  ever  see  any  person 
who  had  nicer  times  than  your  friend,  Mrs. 
Roberts  ?  " 

"  Well,  Flossy  is  peculiar  ;  her  tastes  all  seem 
to  lie  in  this  direction  ;  though  once  they  did 
not,  I  admit.  Papa  used  to  think  that  she  had 
no  talent  for  anything  but  dancing.  Some- 
thing changed  Flossy's  entire  character.  No 
one  Avho  knew  her  two  years  ago  could  possibly 
deny  that." 

"  She  will  serve  as  an  illustration,  then,  to 
explain  my  meaning.     I  believe,  Miss  Dennis, 


220  Ester  Eied  ''Yet  Speaking." 

that  religion  should  have  sufficient  power  over 
us  to  chtuige  all  our  tastes  and  plans  in  life, 
fitting  them  to  the  Saviour's  use." 

"  But  what  would  such  a  rule  as  that  do  with 
most  of  the  Christians  of  your  acquaintance  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  I  am  old  and  experienced  enough  to 
w-arn  you  not  to  make  shipwreck  of  your  hap- 
piness on  that  shoal.  I  hovered  around  it,  and 
vexed  my  soul  over  the  whole  beAvildering  ques- 
tion until  I  suddenly  discovered  that  I  was  held 
absolutely  responsible  only  for  my  own  soul, 
and  that  the  Lord  would  look  after  his  own." 

For  a  time  there  was  no  answer  to  this. 
Gracic  let  her  fingers  wander  Avith  apparent  aim- 
lessness  over  the  keys,  drawing  out  soft,  sweet 
strains.     Suddenly  she  said  :  — 

"  What  do  you  expect  Floss}^  will  accomplish 
with  that  last  scheme  of  hers  ?  I  ought  to  beg 
her  pardon  for  the  familiar  name,  but  I  have 
known  her  ever  since  I  was  a  child.  Don't  you 
think  her  attempts  for  those  boys  rather  hope- 
less?" 

Instantly  the  }'oung  man's  eyes  filled  with 
tears,  and  when  he  spoke  his  voice  indicated 
deep  emotion. 


"  W/iCit  made  Her  Dif event  9  "  221 

"I  can  hardly  tell  you  how  I  feel  about  those 
boys.  I  have  been  anxious  for  Iheni  so  long 
and  felt  so  hopeless.  Do  you  remember  how 
Elijah  sat  under  a  juniper  tree,  discouraged,  and 
said  that  he  was  the  only  one  who  had  not 
bowed  the  knee  to  Baal,  and  the  Lord  told  him 
he  was  mistaken,  that  there  were  five  thousand 
others?  It  sounds  ridiculously  egotistical,  but 
I .  have  felt  at  times  something  like  that ;  as 
though  I  was  the  only  one  who  cared  whether 
tlie  poor  fellows  -svent  to  destruction  or  not. 
But  since  I  have  met  Mrs.  Eoberts,  and  seen 
how  intense  she  is  and  single-hearted,  and  since 
through  her  I  have  met  Dr.  Everett,  and  seen 
how  they  are  trying  to  work  at  the  same  prob- 
lem, and  since  I  have  come  to  know  how  Mr. 
Eoberts  is  at  w^ork  all  the  time  for  voung  men ; 
and,  above  all,  since  that  wonderful  evening 
here  last  Monday,  w^hen  I  saw  how  two  gifted 
ladies  understood  the  art  of  turning  their  accom- 
plishraents  to  account,  in  order  to  take  those 
poor  fellows  captive  for  Christ,  I  discovered 
that  there  were  w\ays  of  solving  this  problem 
about  w  hich  I  had  known  nothing,  and  people 
to  cany  it  through.      It  w^as  simply  glorious  in 


222  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

you  to  give  those  felloAvs  such  music  as  you  did, 
sind  to  accomplish  by  it  what  30U  did.  My  life 
lias  been  narrow,  Miss  Dennis ;  I  never  saw  the 
piano  used  for  Christ  before." 

Gracie  looked  down  at  the  keys,  her  face 
aglow.  It  was  a  new  experience,  this  being 
classed  among  the  Christian  workers  of  the 
world ;  making  her  music  for  other  purposes 
than  to  amuse  the  gay  friends  who  chanced  to 
gather  around  her.  She  made  the  keys  speak 
loudly  for  a  few  minutes,  then  softening  them, 
said :  — 

"You  must  not  class  me  with  Flossy,  Mr. 
Eied.  I  only  did  what  she  wanted  done.  I  am 
not  in  the  least  like  her,  unselfish  and  gentle 
and  all  that." 

But  his  reply,  spoken  low,  was  pleasant  to 
her  ears  :  — 

" '  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.'  " 

He  evidently  looked  upon  'her  as  a  worker. 
She  could  not  help  feeling  that  it  was  pleasant 
to  be  so  classed.  What  an  intense  young  man 
he  was  !  Not  in  the  least  like  those  with  whom 
she  had  hitherto  been  most  familiar. 

There  was  another  voice  in  the  front  parlor  — 


"  W/iaf  made  Her  Different  ?  "  223 

a  strong,  vigorous  voice  that  earned  a  sense  of 
power  Avitli  it. 

"  All !  "  said  Ried,  his  eyes  bright,  his  face 
eager ;  "  that  is  Dr.  Everett.  Just  study  him 
if  you  want  another  type  of  the  sort  of  Christian 
about  whom  we  have  been  talking ;  the  grandest 
man  ! " 

Gracie,  shielded  by  the  distance,  turned  on 
her  stool  and  studied  him.  Certainly  he  did 
not  look  much  as  though  he  were  appointed  for 
early  death.    What  a  splendid  physique  it  was  ! 

And  how  thoroughly  wide  awake  and  inter- 
ested he  was  in  the  subject  under  discussion. 
Bits  of  the  talk  floated  back  to  the  two  at  the 
piano. 

"Oh,  he  is  young,"  Dr.  Everett  was  saying; 
"  I  hope  for  returned  vigor  in  time  ;  but  there 
must  be  long  weeks  of  patience  before  he  will 
be  ready  for  his  old  employment." 

"Do  you  know  of  whom  he  is  speaking?" 
Gracie  asked. 

"  I  fancy  it  is  that  Calkins  boy,  the  one  with 
the  broken  limb.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
poor  fellow,  and  is  trying  to  plan  employment 
of  some  less  wearinsr  sort  for  him,  I  believe. 


224  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

Dr.  Everett  is  alwaj^s*  intensely  interested  in 
somebody." 

"  Is  it  alwaj's  the  very  poor  ?  " 

Alfred  laughed. 

"  Not  always.  I  know  several  quite  well-to- 
do  fellows  on  whom  he  keej^js  a  careful  over- 
sight ;  but  he  is  grandly  interested  in  the  poor. 
He  is  taking  rank  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
physicians  in  the  city,  and,  of  course,  he  i§ 
pressed  for  time  ;  yet  he  is  so  continually  at  the 
call  of  the  poor  that  people  begin  to  speak  of 
him  as  the  poor  man's  doctor.  He  told  me  he 
was  proud  of  that  title." 

At  this  point  the  musicians  were  appealed  to 
to  come  to  the  front  parlor,  and  Gracie  had 
opportunity  for  a  nearer  study  of  the  man 
whom  she  could  not  help  but  admire.  He  was 
not  likely  to  suffer  from  a  nearer  view ;  at  least, 
not  while  Gracie  was  in  the  mood  that  then 
possessed  her.  He  greeted  her  cordially,  and  at 
once  brought  her  into  the  conversation  by 
appealing  to  her  for  a  decision,  seeming  to  take 
it  for  granted  that  she  was  of  the  same  spirit 
with  himself. 

This  young  lady  was  taking  lessons  of  life 


**  What  made  Her  Different  ?  "  225 

that  were  designed  to  be  helpful  to  her  if  she 
would  but  let  them.  A  thoroughly  well- 
educated  and  cultured  gentleman,  well  fitted  to 
take  high  rank  in  society,  not  in  the  ministry, 
and  yet  thoroughly  absorbed  in  what  she  had 
hitherto  almost  unconsciously  set  down  as 
ministers'  work  was  a  mystery  to  her.  jNIore- 
over,  for  the  second  time  that  evening,  she  felt 
a  curious  sense  of  satisfaction  in  being  classed 
among  the  energetic  workers  of  the  world.  The 
pretty  school-girl,  who  had  lived  all  her  young 
life  in  a  neighborhood  where  she  was  "  Gracie 
Dennis,"  looked  up  to,  indeed,  by  her  set, 
and  Jiaving  a  decided  influence  of  her  own,  yet 
felt  it  to  be  a  novel  experience  to  hear  herself 
addressed  in  a  clear,  firm  voice  after  this 
manner :  — 

"Miss  Dennis,  what  means  would  you  advise 
for  interCvSting  a  company  of  young  girls  in  read- 
ing, regularly,  books  which  would  be  of  use  to 
them?  Of  course,  I  speak  of  a  class  of  girls 
who  have  done  no  reading  of  any  account  here- 
tofore, and  who  have  no  knowledge  in  the 
matter." 

"It   is   something   about   which   I  have  not 


226  Ester  jRied  "  Yet  Speaking." 

thought  at  all,"  said  Gracie,  her  pretty  face  all 
in  a  flush.  "But  I  should  suppose  the  way 
Mould  be  to  take  one  girl  at  a  time,  and  study 
her,  to  find  what  would  be  likely  to  interest  and 
help  her,  and  also  to  get  such  an  influence  over 
her  that  she  would  read  what  I  wanted  her  to." 

"First  catch  your  hare,  eh?  Good!"  said 
the  doctor,  with  an  approving  glance  towards 
Mrs.  Roberts.  ''The  longer  I  live  the  more 
convinced  am  I  that  individual  effort  is  what 
accomplishes  the  gi-eat  things  in  this  world." 

There  was  more  talk  about  this  and  kindred 
matters ;  and  Gracie  found  herself  drawn  out, 
and  her  interest  excited  on  themes  about  which 
she  had  supposed  she  knew  nothing. 

Then  occurred  an  interruption, —  a  ringing  of 
the  door-bell. 

"For  Miss  Dennis,"  said  the  messenger;  but 
she  handed  the  card  to  Mrs.  Roberts. 

There  was  just  a  moment  of  hesitation,  while 
that  lady  apparently  studied  the  name,  then  she 
said,  composedly  :  — 

"This  is  Professor  Ellis,  Gracie.  Do  you 
wish  to  receive  him  this  evening?" 

Since   I   have   known  Mrs.  Roberts  well,  I 


"  Wliat  made  Her  Diferenl  ?  "  227 

have  studied  her  innocently  sincere  manner,  Avith 
not  a  little  curiosity  as  to  the  probable  eflect  on 
the  Avorld,  suppose  it  were  possible  for  others  to 
adopt  her  method.  The  actual  practical  effect 
"U'ith  her  is  that  she  succeeds  often  in  wisely 
deceiving,  while  intending  to  be  perfectly  sin- 
cere. For  instance,  her  question  to  Gracie 
after  a  moment  of  hesitation,  during  Avhich  she 
asked  herself,  "What  ought  I  to  do?"  and 
immediately  answered  herself,  "  There  is 
nothing  for  me  to  do,  but  to  be  perfectly  straight- 
forward." 

Her  question  was  intended  to  say  to  Gracie  : 
"I  trust  you.  What  your  father  has  directed 
you  to  do,  I  feel  sure  you  will  obey."  But  it 
said  different  things  from  that  to  Gracie.  Ever 
since  she  had  been  told  that  she  might  make  her 
old  acquaintance,  Flossy,  a  visit,  this  highly- 
strung  young  lady  had  been  suspicious  that  this 
was  a  device  of  her  stepmother  to  get  pleasantly 
rid  of  her  for  a  few  weeks.  She  surmised  that 
a  very  carefully  elaborate  account  of  her  sins 
had  been  written  out  by  this  same  stepmother 
for  the  benefit  of  her  young  hostess,  and  that 
special  directions  had  been  given  for  guarding 


228  Ester  Hied  ''Yet  Speaking.'' 

her  from  the  wolf,  Professor  Ellis.  She  would 
have  spoiled  the  entire  scheme  by  haughtily 
refusing  to  leave  home  had  not  the  innocent 
delight  of  a  young  girl  over  the  thought  of  visit- 
ing a  beautiful  strange  city  gotten  the  l)cttcr  of 
her  pride.  The  gently-put  question  of  her  host- 
ess disarmed  a  whole  nest  of  suspicions.  It  was 
hardly  possible  that  it  had  been  hinted  to  Flossy 
that  her  guest  migiit  attempt  to  elope  with  this 
man,  else  she  would  not  with  serene  face  be 
asking  whether  it  was  her  wish  to  receive  him. 

"  If  you  please,"  she  made  haste  to  answer, 
her  cheeks  glowing  the  while,  and  Mrs.  Roberts 
gave  instant  direction  that  the  gentleman  be 
shown  to  the  parlor. 

There  were  several  new  lessons  set  for  ]Miss 
Gracie  Dennis  to  learn  that  evening.  One  was 
that  Professor  Ellis,  with  his  faultless  dress  and 
excessive  politeness,  his  finished  bows  and  smiles, 
that  would  have  done  credit  to  any  ball-room  in 
the  land,  his  accurate  knowledge  of  all  the 
printed  rules  of  etiquette,  yet  in  Mrs.  Roberts' 
parlor,  contrasted  with  Dr.  Everett,  and  even 
with  young  Ried,  the  dry-goods  clerk,  appeared 
at  a  disadvantage. 


"  What  made  Her  Different  9  "         229 

She  was  slow  in  learning  the  lesson  ;  on  that 
first  evening  she  simply  stared  at  it  in  bewilder- 
ment. What  did  it  mean?  There  was  an 
attempt  to  draw  the  professor  into  the  circle,  to 
continue  the  conversation  that  had  been  so  ani- 
mated and  interesting  before  his  entrance.  The 
effect  was  much  like  that  produced  in  striking  a 
discordant  note  in  a  hitherto  faultless  piece  of 
music.  Young  men  out  of  business  needing 
help,  needing  an  encouraging  Avord,  an  out- 
stretched hand  !  Professor  Ellis  had  words,  and 
hands,  but  he  might  have  been  without  either 
for  all  the  help  they  gave  him  in  responding  to 
eiforts  like  these.  Books  to  help  uplift  the 
young,  to  give  them  high  ideas  of  life,  to  enthuse 
them  with  desires  to  live  for  a  purpose  !  Truly 
he  could  only  stare  blankly  at  the  suggestion. 
What  did  he  know  of  books  written  for  such 
purposes  ?  Yet  Gracie  had  supposed  him  to  be 
literary  in  his  tastes  and  pursuits.  Certainly 
he  read  French?  Yes,  French  novels!  He 
was  quite  familiar  with  some  of  such  a  character 
that,  had  Gracie  been  a  good  French  scholar 
and  ever  likely  to  come  in  contact  Avith  a  copy 
of  them,  he  would  not  have  dared  to  mention 


230  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Speahing:' 

their  names  in  her  presence.  More  than  once 
of  kite  had  the  stepmother  wished  that  her  young 
daughter  understood  the  language  well  enough 
to  be  aware  that  the  man  whom  she  admired 
used  frequently  smooth-sounding  French  oaths. 
But  alas  for  Gracie,  when  he  had  so  poisoned 
her  mother's  influence  over  this  dangerously 
pretty  girl,  that  she  would  have  believed  his 
word  at  any  time  rather  than  that  mother  s  ! 
Well,  he  read  other  than  French  novels  ;  Charles 
Eeade,  for  instance,  and  some  of  the  more  recent 
authors  fashionable  in  certain  circles.  It  is  true 
that  Gracie  was  not  acquainted  with  them,  that 
her  father  would  not  allow  a  copy  of  their 
books  to  come  freely  into  his  home,  and  Gracie 
was  much  too  honorable  to  read  them  in  private. 
But  it  is  also  true  that  while  professing  to 
admire  this  trait  in  her,  as  charming  in  a  young 
daughter,  the  professor  had  also,  pityingly  and 
gently,  told  this  young  daughter  that  these 
things  were  her  father's  concessions  to  the 
narrow  age  and  trammelled  profession  to  which 
he  belonged ;  that  the  fact  was,  free  thought  was 
discouraged,  because  there  was  that  in  every 
church  which  would  not  bear  its  light ;  that  her 


"  What  made  Her  Bif event  ?"         231 

wise  father  was  one  of  a  hundred  in  recognizing 
this,  and  trying  to  shield  her  while  she  was 
young. 

You  are  also  to  remember  that  she  ivas  young, 
and  therefore  forgive  her  that  she  did  not  detect 
the  contradictory  sophistry  in  the  professor's 
words.  He  really  understood  how  to  sugar-coat 
poison  as  well  as  any  man  of  his  stamp  could. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

"HERE  WAS  HIS  OPPORTXJNITT. 

UT  the  question  which  would  keep 
forcing  itself  on  Gracie  Dennis  was 
this :  "  If  he  really  knows  of  nice 
books,  full  of  '  the  beautiful '  and  '  the 
ennobling-,*  that  would  enliq-hten  the  race,  as 
he  has  often  told  me,  why  doesn't  he  mention 
some  of  them  now?  There  is  no  minister 
here  'trammelled  by  long  j^ears  of  naiTowiug 
education.'  How  does  he  know  but  that  these 
people  are  as  '  advanced  '  in  their  ideas  as  he  is 
himself?  " 

I  do  not  mean  that  she  was  conscious  of 
thinking  these  thoughts,  but  that  they  hovered 
on  the  edge,  as  it  were,  of  her  mind,  making 
her  feel  ill  at  ease.  Dr.  Everett,  on  his  part, 
seemed  courteously  bent  on  securing  an  expres- 
sion of  the  professor's  opinion  al)out  matters 
of  which  he  either  could  not,  or  Avould  not,  talk. 

232 


^^Here  ivas  Ills   Opportunity.'^         233 

When  at  List  the  disturbed  gentleman  resolved 
to  violate  what  Gracie  was  sure  was  a  law  of 
good  breeding,  and  address  her  in  French,  what 
with  her  embarrassment  lest  others  should 
understand,  and  her  own  marked  ignorance  of 
the  language,  she  found  great  difficulty  in 
making  a  free  translation.  "Upon  my  word,  I 
W'ish  you  understood  French,  or  some  other 
tongue,  so  that  we  could  escape  from  this  bore- 
dom. Does  the  poor  little  prisoner  have  much 
of  this  to  endure?  Cannot  we  escape  to  the 
music-room,  and  talk  things  over?" 

Gracie  cast  a  frightened  glance  about  her  to  see 
if  there  were  others  Avho  understood  better  than 
herself  this  sentence,  which,  for  aught  she  knew, 
mi":ht  contain  somethino-  startlino^.  But  Alfred 
was  busily  engaged  in  looking  up  the  name  of 
a  book  which  he  had  vainly  tried  to  recall,  and 
Dr.  Everett  was  apparently  serenely  oblivious 
to  any  language  but  his  mother-tongue.  Very 
soon  after  this  Gracie  managed  to  escape  with 
her  caller  to  the  music  alcove  ;  thus  much  of 
the  French  she  had  understood,  and  at  least 
Professor  Ellis  could  play ;  which  fact  she 
resolved  that  the  people   in    the  front   parlor 


234  Ester  Bled  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

should  speedily  understand.  Ah,  but  he  could 
play !  and  herein  lay  one  of  his  strong  fascina- 
tions for  the  music-loving  girl.  For  a  time  the 
most  ravishing  strains  rolled  through  the  parlor, 
hushing  into  rapt  attention  the  group  gathered 
there,  who  had  just  been  reinforced  by  the 
coming  of  Mr.  Roberts.  By  degrees  the  strains 
grew  fainter  and  fainter,  and  at  last  ceased 
altogether,  as  the  professor,  still  on  the  music- 
stool,  bent  over  Gracic,  seated  in  a  low  chair, 
and  apparently  found  fluent  speech  at  last. 

Mrs.  Roberts,  meantime,  was  ill  at  ease. 
What  would  Dr.  Dennis  and  Marion  say, 
could  they  have  a  peep  at  this  moment  into  her 
back  parlor?  Was  she  being  faithful  to  her 
trust  ?  Yet  what  was  there  she  could  do  ?  She 
tried  to  sustain  her  part  in  the  conversation,  but 
her  troubled  gaze,  constantly  wandering  else- 
where, betrayed  her.  Dr.  Everett's  keen  eyes 
were  upon  her. 

"Are  you  particularly  interested  in  that 
man?"  he  asked,  abruptly. 

Mrs.  Roberts  smiled  faintly. 

"  I  am  particularly  interested  in  that  girl," 
she  said. 


^^Here  loas  Ills  Opportunity.''''         235 

"  How  do  you  like  her  present  companion- 
ship?" 

"Not  at  all,"  she  answered,  quickly. 

Whereupon  Mr.  Roberts  began  to  question. 

"May  I  know,  doctor,  whether  3^ou  have  any 
other  reason  than  that  of  intuition  for  asking 
the  question  ?  " 

"  Possibly  not,"  said  the  doctor,  guardedly. 
"  It  may  be  a  case  of  mistaken  identity.  Mrs. 
Roberts,  would  you  like  to  have  me  investigate 
something  that  may  be  to  his  disadvantage  ?  " 

Mrs.  Roberts  had  a  prompt  answer 
ready :  — 

"There  are  reasons  why  it  is  specially  im- 
portant that  such  an  investigation  should  be 
made  and  reported  to  me.  May  I  commission 
you?" 

The  doctor  bowed ;  and  the  subject  of 
Professor  Ellis  was  immediately  dropped. 

During  the  following  week  certain  innovations 
took  place  in  Mrs.  Roberts  well-ordered  house- 
hold. At  the  end  of  the  conservatory  was  a 
long,  bright,  and  hitherto  unfurnished  room  ;  it 
had  been  designed  as  a  sort  of  second  conser- 
vatory, whenever  the  beauties  of  that  depart- 


236  Ester  JRi'ed  "  Yet  Spealdng:' 

ment  should  outgrow  their  present  bounds,  but 
meantime  other  plants  had  taken  root  and 
blossomed  in  the  mistress'  heart.  Early  in  the 
week  the  unused  room  had  been  opened  and 
cleaned ;  then  began  to  arrive  packages  of 
various  shapes  and  sizes ;  a  roll  of  carpeting, 
and  two  young  men  from  the  caipet  store  ;  and 
there  followed  soon  after  the  sound  of  hammer- 
ing. Furniture-wagons  halted  before  the  door, 
leaving  their  burdens.  Men  and  women  flitted 
to  and  fro,  busy  and  important. 

It  was  Saturday  night  before  i\Ir.  Roberts 
and  his  young  clerk  were  invited  in  to  admire  and 
criticise  the  new  room.  Mr.  Roberts,  at  least, 
was  prepared  to  appreciate  its  transfc^rmation. 

The  floor  was  covered  with  a  heavy  carpet  in 
lovel}"^  shades  of  mossy  green,  and  easy  chairs 
and  couches  in  tints  that  either  matched  or  made 
delightful  contrasts  with  the  carpet  abounded. 
The  walls  were  hung  with  pictures  and  charts 
and  maps.  A  study-table  occupied  the  centre 
of  the  room  —  one  of  those  charming  tables,  full 
of  mysterious  drawers  and  unexpected  comers  ; 
paper  and  pens  and  inks  in  various  colors  Mere 
disposed  about  this  table  in  delightful  profusion. 


^'Ilere  was  His   Opportuniti/ ."         237 

Other  tables,  plenty  of  them,  small  and  neat, 
each  of  a  different  shape  or  design,  were  sta- 
tioned at  intervals,  in  convenient  proximity  to 
comfortable  chairs.  Nothing  could  be  further 
removed  from  one's  idea  of  a  school -room  than 
was  that  long,  beautiful  parlor ;  yet  when  you 
thought  of  it,  and  took  a  second,  deliberate  sur- 
vey, nothing  that  could  have  contributed  to  the 
enjoyment  of  pupils  was  missing.  A  small 
cabinet  organ  occupied  an  alcove,  and  music- 
books  of  various  grades  were  strewn  over  it. 
Toward  this  spot  Mrs.  Roberts  smiled  signifi- 
cantly as  her  eye  caught  Alfred  Ried's,  and  she 
said :  — 

"I  have  visions  of  sacred  Sabbath  evening 
half-hours,  connected  with  this  corner,  one  of 
these  days ;  meantime,  is  this  a  pleasant  I'oom 
for  our  Monday  evenings  ?  " 

But  Alfred  could  not  answer  her ;  his  head 
was  turned  away,  and  there  was  a  suspicious 
lump  in  his  throat,  that  made  him  know  better 
than  to  attempt  speech.  He  was  standing  at 
that  moment  under  one  of  the  wall-texts  that 
the  gaslight  illumined  until  it  glowed,  and  the 
words  stood  out  with  startling  clearness  :  — 


238  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

"  Let  us  not  sleep  ue.  do  others,  but  let  us 
watch  and  be  sober." 

His  sister's  text ;  one  that,  perhaps  more  than 
any  other,  was  on  her  lips  when  she  talked  with 
him ;  one  that  hung  at  her  coffin's  head  when 
he,  a  little  boy,  stood  beside  the  coffin  and 
looked  down  at  her  face,  and  looked  up  at  that 
text,  and  took  a  mental  photograph  of  both  to 
live  in  his  heart  forever. 

"This  is  your  special  chair,"  Mrs.  Koberts 
said,  smiling  up  at  him ;  and  he  understood 
her,  —  here  was  his  opportunity  to  live  out  that 
text  for  his  sister.     Would  n't  he  try  ! 

"Well,"  said  Gracie,  drawing  a  long  breath, 
"  as-  a  study  it  is  certainly  a  success.  One  can 
easily  see,  Flossy,  why  you  were  born  with  the 
ability  to  tell  at  a  glance  what  colors  harmo- 
nized, and  just  where  things  fitted  in.  I  can't 
imagine  anything  prettier  than  this,  and  I  can- 
not imagine  what  you  are  going  to  do  with  it." 

Whereupon  they  sat  down  to  talk  that  im- 
portant question  over  :  what  they  were  going  to 
try  to  do.  Sometimes  I  have  wondered  whether 
Ester,  from  her  beautiful  home,  could  look 
down  on  it  all,  and  whether  she  smiled  over  the 


'^Ilere  was  His   Opjwrfumf?/."         239 

foot  that  her  work  was  doing  so  much  more  than 
she  had  planned  ?  She  had  roused  in  her  little 
brother  an  ambition  that  had  grown  with  his 
years,  and  that  had  helped  to  hold  him  away 
from  many  temptations :  so  much,  doubtless, 
she  had  foreseen  ;  but  what  a  blessed  thing  it 
was  tliat  she  had  touched,  in  those  long  ago 
years,  influences  which  had  drawn  her  brother, 
in  his  young  and  perilous  manhood,  into  inti- 
mate relations  with  such  people  as  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Roberts,  so  that  they  sat  dc^wn  familiarly  to  talk 
over  mutual  interests  !  But  for  Ester's  words, 
spoken  long  ago,  but  for  her  strong  desires 
transmitted  to  him,  he  might  have  sat  with  a  very 
difterent  circle,  and  t-alked  over  widely  diflerent 
schemes.  On  the  edge  of  this  circle  Gracie 
Dennis  hovered.  She  could  not  but  be  inter- 
ested in  their  talk,  for  she  was  a  Christian,  and 
hel'  father  was  a  Christian,  and  she  had,  all  her 
life  breathed  in  the  atmospherj  of  a  Christian 
home. 

At  the  same  time  she  could  but  imagine  some 
of  their  ideas  wild  ones,  for  she  had  never  been 
associated  with  people  who  widely  overstepped 
the  conventional  ways  of  doing  things ;  and  she 


240  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

had,  of  late,  been  much  with  Professor  EUis, 
Avho  had  a  sort  of  gentlemanly  sneer  for  every 
phase  of  Christian  work,  and,  so  far  as  could 
be  discovered,  believed  in  nothing.  He  had  not 
been  outspoken,  it  is  true,  and  herein  lay  one 
of  the  dangers.  He  was  too  skillful  to  be  out- 
spoken ;  but  the  subtle  poison  had  been  work- 
ing, and  although  Gracie  could  not  help  being 
interested  in  those  queer  boys,  she  could  not  help 
thinking  Flossy's  whole  scheme  exceedingly  vis- 
ionary, and  expected^  it  to  come  to  grief.  The 
puzzling  question  was,  why  did  Mr.  Roberts, 
being  a  keen-sighted  man,  permit  it  all !  Or 
was  he  so  much  in  k)ve  with  Flossy  that  he 
could  not  bear  to  thwart  even  her  wildest  flights  ? 
It  was  strange,  too,  to  see  a  young  man  like 
Alfred  Ried  so  absorbed ;  his  sister  must  have 
had  Avonderful  power  over  him,  Gracie  thought. 
She  went  back  to  his  sister's  influence,  always, 
in  trying  to  explain  the  matter,  and  never  gave 
a  thought  to  Christ's  influence.  Meantime  she 
listened  to  the  various  plans  proposed  for  the 
first  Monday  evening,  and  was  sufficiently  inter- 
ested to  gather  her  pretty  face  in  a  frown  when 
the  distant  peal  from  the  door-bell  sounded 
through  the  bouse. 


^\nere  was  His  Opportunity.''''         241 

"  What  a  pity  to  be  interrupted  by  a  caller  !  " 
she  exclaimed.  "  This  room  is  so  much  nicer 
than  the  parlor.  Flossy,  don't  you  hope  it  is 
sonic  one  to  see  Mr.  Eoberts  on  business  ?  " 

"No,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts,  shaking  her  head, 
with  a  smile,  "  I  feel  in  special  need  of  Mr. 
Roberts  just  now.  Evan,  I  really  think  we 
must  be  excused  to  callers  for  this  one  evening  ; 
there  are  so  many  things  to  arrange." 

"  Let  us  wait  and  see,"  answered  Mr.  Rob- 
erts ;  "  perhaps  the  Lord  sent  the  caller  here  to 
help  us,  or  to  be  helped." 

At  that  moment  came  the  card. 

"  Oh,  it  is  Dr.  Everett !  "  was  Mrs.  Roberts' 
exclamation.  "  Let  us  have  him  come  directly 
here.  Evan,  please  go  and  escort  him.  You 
were  right,  —  the  Lord  has  sent  him  to  help  us. 
I  don't  know  how,  I  'm  sure ;  but  he  is  just  the 
man  to  help  everywhere." 

And  the  circle  instantly  widened  itself  to  re- 
ceive Dr.  Everett. 

It  took  almost  no  time  to  speak  the  common- 
places of  the  occasion,  and  get  back  at  once  to 
the  business  of  the  hour.  It  was  evident  that 
Dr.  Everett  needed  no   lengthy   explanations, 


242  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

r.nd  there  was  apparently  nothing  bewildering 
to  his  mind  in  the  plan.  True,  it  was  new  to 
him,  but  he  seemed  to  spring  at  once  to  the 
centre  of  their  thought.  His  eyes  glowed  for  a 
moment,  and  he  said  with  peculiar  emphasis  :  — 

"Ried,  when  the  son  of  man  cometh,  he  will 
surely  find  so7ne  faith  on  the  earth !  " 

Then  he  gave  himself  to  intenscst  listening 
and  questioning,  and  prescntl}''  followed  his 
questions  with  suggestions  which  showed  that 
iniconvcntional  ways  of  working  were  not  alto- 
gether new  to  him.  ' 

As  for  Gracie,  she  had  as  much  as  she  could 
do  to  listen  intelligently ;  she  almost  caught  her 
breath  over  the  rapidity  with  which  the  talkers 
moved  from  one  scheme  to  another.  All  the 
time  there  was  a  curious  process  of  comparison 
between  this  man  and  Professor  Ellis  going  on 
in  her  mind.  Not  that  she  wished  to  compare 
the  two  !  She  told  herself  that  it  was  absurd  to 
do  so  ;  none  the  less  she  did  it.  For  instance, 
she  reminded  herself  that  she  had  mentally 
assented  promptly  to  the  suggestion  of  inviting 
the  doctor  to  this-  room  to  talk  this  strange 
scheme  over ;  she  had  recofjnized  the  fitness  of 


^^Here  icas  His  Opportunity  J"         243 

the  act.  But  suppose  Professor  Ellis  should 
call,  would  it  not  be  siniply  absurd  to  think  of 
explaining  to  him  the  uses  of  this  unique  room? 
Who  Avould  for  a  moment  think  of  suggesting 
his  name  as  a  helper? 

I  do  not  know  how  to  describe  to  you  the 
appearance  of  that  room  on  Monday  evening 
when  the  boys  were  in  it.  I  do  not  know 
whether  the  sight  to  you  would  have  bsen  piti- 
ful or  ludicrous.  How  can  I  tell  —  not  knowing 
you?  There  was  a  dreadful  incongruity  l)e- 
tweeu  the  soiled,  ragged  clothes  and  matted 
hair  and  unwashed  hands  and  the  exquisite 
purity  which  prevailed  around  them.  Of 
course  you  could  have  seen  that,  but  the  all- 
important  question,  the  answer  to  which  would 
have  stamped  your  place  in  the  Avorld's  work- 
shop, would  have  been,  Do  you  see  any  further 
than  that?  and  seeing  further — which  way? 
Do  you  see  the  possibilities,  or  the  certainties  of 
failure?  Oh,  no,  I  am  wrong;  it  Avould  take 
more  than  that  to  toil  where  you  belong.  Dr. 
Everett  saw  the  possibilities  and  gloried  in 
them.     Gracie  Dennis  thouirht  she  saw  the  cer- 


244  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

tainty  of  failure,  and  -was  sony  for  it.  But 
Professor  Ellis  would  have  seen  the  certainty  of 
failure,  and  would  have  met  it  with  a  sneer,  if 
he  had  not  been  too  indifferent  even  for  that. 
As  for  Mrs.  Roberts,  did  she,  or  did  she  not, 
represent  a  different  and  higher  type  than  any 
of  the  others?  She  thought  not  much  about 
either  success  or  failure,  but  pushed  steadily  for- 
T\'ard  the  plan  that  she  believed  she  had  gotten 
on  her  knees,  born  of  the  Spirit.  If  it  really 
were  of  God,  nothing  could  make  it  fail ;  but  if 
she  mistook,  and  the  plan  was  only  hers,  mere 
failure  in  that  direction  would  signify  nothing; 
she  would  have  but  to  try  again.  Something 
of  this  she  felt,  but  did  not  reason  out,  for  she 
was  no  logician. 

What  the  boys  saw  was  a  great,  splendid 
room,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never  seen  be- 
fore, for  they  recognized,  without  being  able  to 
explain,  the  difference  between  it  and  the  par- 
lors, and  felt  freer  in  it.  They  all  came,  and 
they  looked  not  one  whit  better  than  on  the 
Monday  evening  before.  Over  this  fact  Gracie 
Dennis,  with  all  her  public  scoffing,  was,  in 
private,  a  little   disappointed.     It  is  true   she 


^*Here  was  His  Opportunity.''         245 

had  not  expected  to  see  them  again  ;  but  //"they 
came,  she  thought  it  possible  that  they  might 
have  been  tempted  to  appear  with  clean  hands 
and  faces.  Possibly  some  were  so  tempted,  and 
but  for  the  difficulties  in  the  way,  might  really 
have  tried  for  this.  But  Gracie  was  not  suffi- 
ciently enlightened  to  dream  of  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  simply  washing  one's  face  and  hands. 

During  the  Saturday  evening  conference  it 
had  been  decided  that  Mr.  Eoberts  must  make 
acquaintance  with  his  guests.  It  Avould  never 
do  to  have  them  come  familiarl}^  to  his  house, 
and  he  not  be  able  to  recognize  them  on  the 
streets.  Several  plans  were  suggested  for  intro- 
ducing him  skilfully  to  them,  but  he  disap- 
proved of  them  all. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  I  '11  tell  you  what  we  '11  do. 
I  will  introduce  myself.  You  may  receive  them, 
Flossy,  and  then  retire  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
I  '11  let  myself  in  by  the  conservatory  passage, 
and  make  myself  acquainted  to  the  best  of  my 
abilities.  In  ten  minutes,  Flossy,  I  '11  give  you 
leave  to  return.  As  for  the  rest  of  you,  don't 
dare  to  venture  in  until  I  have  made  good  my 


246  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speakinp." 

claim  as  the  head  of  the  house.  I  am  jealous  of 
you,  perhaps," 

To  this  plan  Mrs.  Koberts  readily  assented, 
hut  the  young  clerk  looked  doubtful.  In  com- 
mon uith  the  rest  of  his  employees,  he  stood 
in  wholesome  awe  of  the  keen-eyed,  thorough 
business  man,  who  seemed  to  know,  as  by  a  sort 
of  instinct,  when  anything  in  any  department 
of  the  ijreat  store  was  not  movino^  accordincj  to 
rule.  His  knowledge  of  Mr.  Roberts,  outside 
of  the  store,  was  limited,  and  he  expected  to 
find  the  boys,  if  not  frightened,  so  awed  that 
they  would  resolve  never  to  be  caught  inside 
that  room  again. 

However,  he  of  course  only  looked  his  fears. 
lie  Avas  too  much  afraid  of  the  great  merchant 
to  express  them,  and  it  had  been  understood, 
when  they  separated,  that  this  plan  was  to  be 
carried  out. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"I  WONDER  WHAT  THEY'RE  ALL  AFTER!" 

T^^TjN  the  library  waited  Gracie  and  Mr. 
^  1^1  Ried,  -while  Mrs.  Roberts  went  merrily 
v^^^a!  to  se3  whether'  the  boys  or  their  host 
had  proved  the  stronger. 

"  I  don't  believe  this  part  of  the  programme 
will  work,"  Alfred  said,  confidently,  the  mo- 
ment the  door  closed  after  Mrs.  Roberts. 
"  Those  fellows  will  all  be  afraid  of  Mr.  Rob- 
erts, and  wo  shall  lose  what  little  hold  we  have 
on  them." 

"  They  don't  look  to  me  as  though  it  ever 
occurred  to  them  to  be  afraid  of  anything," 
Gracie  said ;  but  Alfred  Ried,  who  had  studied 
deeper  into  this  problem  of  the  different  classes 
of  society,  was  ready  with  his  answer. 

"Yes  they  are  ;  they  can  be  awed,  and  made 
to  feel  uncomfortable  to  the  degree  that  tliey 
will  resolve  not  to  appear  in  that  region  again. 

247 


248  Ester  llled  ''Yet  SpeaJdnc/." 

One  cannot  judge  from  their  behavior  in  Sab- 
bath-school. Some  way  they  recognize  a  mis- 
sion school  as  being  in  a  sense  their  property, 
and  behave  accordingly ;  but  in  a  man's  own 
house,  surrounded  by  things  of  which  they  do 
not  even  know  the  name,  he  has  them  at  a  dis- 
advantage, and  can  easily  rouse  within  them  the 
feeling  that  they  are  '  trapped.'  Than  which 
there  is  nothing  those  fellows  dread  so  much,  I 
believe." 

"  But  they  were  not  afraid  of  Flossy  last  week, 
even  surrounded  by  the  elegances  of  her  par- 
lors and  dining-room." 

"  Ah  !  "  he  said,  his  eyes  alight,  "  she  has  a 
wisdom  born  of  God,  I  think,  for  managing 
these  and  all  other  concerns.  She  is  unlike 
everybody  else." 

Whereupon  Gracie  Dennis  laughed ;  not  a 
disagreeable  laugh,  but  there  came  to  her  just 
then  a  sense  of  the  strangeness  of  thinking  that 
pretty  Flossy  Shipley,  whom  she  had  known  all 
her  life,  and  half-scorned  from  the  heights  of 
her  childhood  because  she  was  a  silly  little 
thing,  who  could  not  do  her  problems  in  class, 
should  have  a  wisdom  unlike  any  others.     Yet, 


"/  Wonder  What  they  're  all  After!  "     249 

almost  immediately  her  laugh  was  stayed,  be- 
cause the  change  in  Flossy  was  so  great  that 
she,  too,  recognized  it  as  born  of  God.  Some- 
times it  came  with  force  to  this  proud  young 
girl  that  if  God  could  do  so  much  for  Flossy, 
what  mi2:ht  he  not  be  willino^  to  do  with  those 
whom  he  had  made  intellectually  her  superior, 
if  they  were  but  ready  to  be  led  ? 

The  young  man,  who  was  studying  her, 
watched  the  grave  look  deepen  on  her  face, 
and  wondered  at  its  source.  What  a  pretty 
face  it  was.  Oh,  much  more  than  pretty ; 
there  was  great  strength  in  it  and  sweetness, 
too,  of  a  certain  sort,  but  he  could  not  help 
comparing  the  sort  with  that  in  some  other 
faces,  and  he  wondered  over  the  difference. 
This  young  lady  was  a  Christian.  Why  should 
her  Christian  experience  stamp  her  with  such  a 
different  expression  from  that  which  others 
wore  ?  He  always  finished  this  sort  of  sentence 
with  a  blank  space  first,  as  though  he  did  not 
choose  to  have  himself  tell  himself  any  names. 
Yet  he  spoke  a  name  forcibly  enough,  still 
gazing  earnestly  at  Gracie. 

"  Did  you  ever  meet  Miss  Joy  Saunders?" 


250  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

Gracie  turned  toward  him  a  laughing  face. 

"Ko,  but  we  are  very  anxious  to,  Flossy  and 
I.  Wc  have  both  Ijeen  told  that  we  ought  to 
know  her,  and  told  so  earnestly  that  we  really 
think  we  ought.  Who  is  she?  Is  she,  too, 
unlike  anybody  else?" 

"Very,"  he  said,  promptly.  "I  know  her 
very  little  ;  she  is  the  dtiughter  of  our  landlady ; 
I  meet  her  in  the  hall  on  rare  occasions,  and 
sometimes  catch  glimpses  of  her  just  vanishing 
from  some  room  as  I  enter;  but  as  for  being 
acquainted  with  her,  I  suppose  I  am  not.  I 
think  —  though  of  that  I  am  by  no  means  sure 
—  that  she  is  engaged  to  Dr.  Everett. 

"  Oil,  then,  of  course  he  vrould  think  natu- 
rally that  people  ought  to  know  her.  "What  is 
she  like?" 

"Like  nothing,"  said  Alfred,  with  great 
promptness.  "Did  you  ever  know  a  person 
named  Joy  ?  " 

"  xSo  ;  — what  a  singular  name." 

"  Well,  it  fits.  She  is  very  far  removed  from 
mirth,  and  she  is  not  Avhat  people  call  gay,  and 
she  is  not  outspoken  apparently  at  any  time, 
though,  as  I  say,  I  do  not  know  her;  but  there 


"/  Wonder  What  tliey  're  all  After  !  "    251 

is  something  in  her  face  that  fits  the  name  ;  I  do 
not  know  v\'hat  it  is.  Sometimes  I  think  it  is 
the  shining  of  Christ's  face  reflected  in  her  ;  but 
the  puzzle  is,  wliy  do  not  other  faces  have  it? 
Faces  which  belong  to  him?" 

"  Perhaps  there  is  a  diflerence  in  the  degree 
of  belongino^." 

Gracie  spoke  the  words  very  gently,  wonder- 
ing meanwhile  at  the  way  in  "which  this  thought 
chimed  in  with  hers  about  Flossy. 

"Oh,  there  is.  But  why  should  there  be? 
If  I  belong  to  Christ,  I  belong,  don't  I?  There 
is  no  half-way  service  possible.  Wh}'  do  I  not 
so  look  that  others  take  knowledge  of  me  that 
I  have  been  with  Jesus? " 

"  How  do  you  know  but  the}'-  do?" 

"Ah,  I  know.  I  know  too  well.  They  are 
more  likely  a  great  deal  to  take  knowledge  that 
I  have  been  with  Satan.  I  feel  the  frown  all 
over  my  face  a  great  deal  of  the  time  ;  and  the 
world  goes  astray  a  great  many  times,  when  I 
suppose  it  is  just  myself  that  is  wrong.  But, 
Miss  Dennis,  I  hunger  for  the  shining  of  hi.s 
face  in  me." 

"  That  must  be  the  meaninsr  of  the  beatitude 


252  Ester  Riecl  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

which  puzzled  my  childhood,"  she  answered, 
trying  to  speak  lightly,  to  hide  feelings  that 
were  deeply  moved  :  "  Blessed  are  they  which 
do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness,  for 
they  shall  be  filled." 

"Thank  you,"  he  said,  smiling;  "there  is 
actually  a  promise !  I  had  not  thought  of  it. 
And  yet  "  —  the  thoughtful  frown  gathering 
almost  immediately  —  "  do  you  suppose  that  a 
person  who  really  hungered  for  a  certain  thing 
could  be  satisfied  with  anything  else  ?  I  often 
have  an  hour  of  what  at  the  moment  seems  to 
me  like  hunger  for  Him,  but  the  hour  passes, 
and  I  get  filled  with  business,  or  Avith  plans,  or 
possibly  with  annoyances,  and  feel  nothing  but 
a  general  irritation  for  everybody.  Do  you 
think  there  can  be  anything  genuine  about  such 
desires,  so  easily  turned  aside  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  do  not  know,  said  Gracie,  hastily. 
"Why  do  you  ask  me  such  things?  Did  not  I 
tell  you  I  was  not  good  ?  Ask  those  people  who 
are  unlike  all  others.  Why  don't  you  ask  this 
Joy?  She  could  tell  you,  I  presume.  I  can 
tell  you  nothing,  save  that  this  is  a  very  strange 
world,  not  half  so  nice  as  I  once  thought  it,  and 
I  don't  like  to  think  about  thingrs." 


"/  Wonder  Wliat  they  We  all  After!"    253 

How  different  he  was  from  other  young  men 
with  whom  she  had  spent  fifteen  minutes  many 
a  time  in  gay  banter !  This  Avas,  after  all, 
the  thought  uppermost  in  her  mind  at  that  mo- 
ment. Nice  Christian  men,  of  whom  her  father 
spoke  well,  and  who,  people  said,  were  young 
men  to  be  proud  of.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she 
knew  them  by  the  dozens,  yet  with  which  one 
of  them  had  she  ever  carried  on  such  a  conver- 
sation as  this  ?  With  which  one  could  she  have 
attempted  anything  of  the  kind,  without  lead- 
ing him  to  suppose  that  she  was  taking  leave  of 
her  senses? 

She  recalled  some  of  the  gay  words  that  she 
had  spoken  with  these  others,  and  tried,  hur- 
riedly, to  decide  why  it  would  sound  to  her  per- 
fectly absurd  to  talk  with  Alfred  Eied  in  that 
way.  However,  she  did  not  want  to  talk  with 
him;  he  was  too  full  of  questionings.  "And 
questions,"  said  poor  Gracie,  "are  all  that  I  can 
ask  myself.  I  want  somebody  to  talk  with  who 
is  assured  of  the  ground  on  which  he  stands, 
and  can  tell  me  why  he  stands  there." 

There  was  not  time  for  further  talk ;  they 
were  summoned  to  the  new  room.     Bursts  of 


254  Ester  E led  "Yet  SpeaJcing:' 

laushtor  crrcctcd  tlicir  cars  as  they  made  their 
way  eagerly  across  the  Imll,  and  Gracic  took 
time  to  remark  that  the  boys  'vvere  certainly  not 
awed  into  silence,  before  the  opening  door  let 
them  into  the  brightly-lighted  scene.  Every  boy 
was  laughing,  not  quietly,  but  immoderately, 
and  the  centre  of  attraction  was  evidently  Mr. 
Eoberts. 

"  I  have  been  giving  our  friends  an  account  of 
an  old  army  experience,"  he  said,  in  explanation 
to  Oracle,  "  and  we  have  been  enjo\ing  a  laugh 
together  over  the  old  memory.  You  are  all 
acquainted  with  Miss  Dennis,  I  think,  young 
gentlemen  ?  " 

Clearly  there  was  no  need  for  any  one  to  in- 
troduce Mr,  Roberts  to  the  boys ;  apparently 
they  knew  him  now  better  than  they  did  any 
of  the  others.  Yet  as  Gracie,  after  shaking 
hands  with  each  of  the  guests,  took  a  vacant 
seat  by  Nimble  Dick,  she  was  greeted  Avith  a 
confidential  whisper ;  — 

"  That 's  a  jolly  chap  as  ever  I  saw ;  and  I 
never  heard  anything  to  beat  the  yarn  he  told 
us,  for  cutcness.     Who  is  he?" 

"  Why,  he  is  Mr.  Evan  Roberts,  the  owner  of 
this  house." 


V  Wonder  What  they  Ve  all  After!  "    255 

"i\Ij  cj'os  !  "  .giild  Dick,  gazing  about  him  in 
n  startled  Avay.  "Look  here;  he  ain't  that 
Ilohcrts  from  the  big  store  on  Fourth  Street?" 

"  Yes,  he  is  ;  he  is  one  of  the  partners  in  tha; 
store." 

Then  did  Nimble  Dick  give  a  Ioav  AA'histle,  — 
suddenly  cut  short,  as  tjie  other  boys  looked 
at  him,  —  and  sat  up  straight  in  his  chair,  and 
for  at  least  a  minute  Avas  aAA'cd ;  or  else  Avas  be- 
Avildered.  If  his  mind  could  IiaA'c  been  looked 
into  for  a  moment  somethino-  like  this  might 
have  been  seen  there:  '"And  here  I  am  sittin' 
in  one  of  his  chairs,  and  been  laughin'  to  kill 
over  his  funny  story  !  If  this  ain't  the  greatest 
lark  out !  I  Avonder  Avhat  they  're  all  after,  awy- 
how  ! " 

Then  the  real  business  of  the  e\^ening  com- 
menced. 

I  should  like  to  describe  that  evening  ;  but  it  is 
really  worse  to  describe  than  the  boys.  It  Avas  de- 
signed to  be  one  of  those  most  difficult  evenings, 
Avhcre  every  act  and  almost  eveiy  Avord  has 
been  previously  arranged,  but  arranged  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  appear  like  an  improm|;tu  effort, 
the  result  of  merel}''  the  happenings  of  the  hour. 


256  Ester  Rled  "  Yet  Speahinfjr 

For  instance,  Mrs.  Roberts  aimed  at  nothin":  less 
formidable  than  the  teaching  of  these  boys  to 
read  and  write ;  and  knew  as  well  as  you  or  I 
know  it,  that  to  frankly  own  that  she  was  ready 
and  willing  to  give  her  time  and  patience  to  so 
teaching  them  would  be  to  outwit  herself. 
They  did  not  belong  to  the  class  who  can  be 
beguiled  into  evening  schools.  There  are  such  ; 
Mark  Calkins  would  have  seized  such  an  oppor- 
tunity and  rejoiced  over  it,  but  these  were  lower 
in  the  scale  ;  they  did  not  realize  their  need,  and 
they  had  what  they  in  ignorance  called  "  inde- 
pendence "  ;  they  were  not  to  be  "  trapped  "  by 
evening  schools.  Therefore  it  required  diplo- 
macy ;  and  no  people  can  be  more  diplomatic, 
on  occasion,  than  certain  most  innocent-looking 
little  women.  Mrs.  Roberts  had  studied  her 
way  step  by  step. 

Therefore  it  was,  that  by  the  most  natural 
passage  possible,  she  led  the  way  to  a  discussion 
of  different  stjdes  of  writing,  bringing  forth  to 
aid  her  a  certain  old  autograph  album  which  had 
been  to  many  places  of  note,  among  others 
Chautauqua,  and  had  the  names  of  distinguished 
persons,  as  well  as  of  many  Avho  were  not  dis- 


"/  Wonder  What  they  're  all  After!  "     257 

tinguished,  except  for  Christian  endurance  in 
consenting  to  write  in  an  autograph  album. 
Good  writers  were  talked  about  and  selected, 
and  poor  writers  were  talked  about,  and  it  \vas 
said  by  some  one,  accidentally  of  course,  that  a 
good  hand  was  really  an  accomplishment. 

"  It  is  more  than  that  I "  declared  Mr.  Roberts. 
"  A  man's  business  life  often  turns  on  it.  I  have 
m^'self  had  to  turn  away  from  several  otherwise 
suitable  helpers  in  our  business  because  they 
really  could  not  write  a  good,  clear  hand,  that 
could  be  read  Avithout  studying." 

"Are  you  a  good  writer.  Miss  Gracie?" 

This  remark,  coming  suddenly  to  Gracie 
from  her  host,  almost  embarrassed  her,  for  3^ou 
are  not  to  suppose  that  the  very  words  by  which 
these  themes  should  be  introduced  had  been 
planned,  and  it  had  not  occurred  to  Gracie  that 
so  personal  a  question  might  be  asked  her.  But 
she  rallied  quickl3^ 

"  No,  sir ;  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  am  not.    I 
write   Avhat   papa   calls    a   mincing   hand ;     all    - 
jumbled  up  together,  you   know,   or  running 
into  each  other,  the  letters  are,  and  so  difficult 
to  read  that  papa  said  when  I  came  away  he 


258  Uster  Ried  "Tec  iSjpeaking" 

hoped  I  would  call  on  his  friend,  Dr.  Stuart, 
every  day,  and  write  a  letter  on  his  type- 
writer." 

"What  is  that?"  interrupted  Nimble  Dick, 
his  face  curious. 

"  What  ?  A  type- writer  ?  Oh,  it  is  a  strange 
little  machine  used  instead  of  the  pen  —  at 
least,  a  very  few  people  use  it.  It  is  quite 
new,  I  think,  and  must  be  very  curious.  I 
never  saw  one,  but  the  writing  looks  just  like 
print.  Dr.  Stuart,  a  pastor  in  the  city,  is  my 
papa's  friend,  and  writes  to  him  on  his,  and 
papa  reads  the  letter  Avith  great  satisfaction, 
saying  to  me,  'There,  daughter,  that  is  some- 
thing like !  People  who  cannot  ■write  Avell 
enough  for  others  to  read  should  print.' " 

"They  are  not  so  very  uncommon,  Miss 
Dennis,"  explained  Dr.  Everett,  who  saw  the 
easferness  on  Nimble  Dick's  face.  "It  is  a 
comparatively  new  invention,  but  is  being 
caught  up  very  promptly.  I  think  nearly  all 
the  leading  lawj^ers  use  them,  and  those  who  do 
not  own  them  are  getting  their  copying  done  at 
the  rooms.  They  are  very  ingenious  little 
instruments." 


"/  Wonder  What  they  're  all  After."'    259 

"  Did  you  say  you  never  saw  one  ?  " 

This  question  from  Mr.  Koberts  to  Gracie, 
and  he  added  :  — 

"  Mrs.  Eoberts,  I  believe  you  have  never  had 
other  than  that  first  glimpse  I  showed  you  in  the 
Parker  Building.  I  have  an  idea.  Suppose 
I  rent  one  of  the  little  fellows  to  interest  us? 
It  would  be  pleasant  to  look  into  it  and  see  how 
it  works.  Did  none  of  you  ever  see  one? 
Well,  now,  we'll  try  for  that  on  next  Monday 
evening.  I'll  have  one  sent  up  to-morrow,  and, 
Miss  Gracie,  we  '11  appoint  you  showman  for 
the  following  Monday ;  so  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
you  will  employ  your  leisure  in  learning  how  to 
manage  the  creature,  and  perhaps  send  your 
father  a  readable  letter  at  the  same  time." 

Now,  as  may  readily  be  supposed,  all  this 
about  machinery  had  not  been  arranged  for 
beforehand,  but  was  a  side  issue,  born  of  the 
fact  that  the  watchful  servant  of  his  Master  saw 
an  easrer  look  in  the  eyes  of  the  bov  Dick 
directly  there  was  anything  said  that  suggested 
machinery.  One  of  the  great  aims  of  these 
evenings  was  to  study  character,  however 
developed. 


260  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

Having  turned  his  company  from  the  regular 
channel,  Mr.  Roberts  made  haste  to  put  them 
skilfully  back  where  they  were  before  :  — 

"  Still,  it  would  be  a  pity  to  resort  to  machinery 
simply  because  one  did  not  know  how  to  write 
Avell.  I  would  rather  set  to  work  to  correct  the 
error.  I  happen  to  know  one  of  our  number 
Avho  can  write  a  very  enviable  hand.  Do  j^ou 
know,  Ried,  that  the  letter  you  w-rote  me  was 
the  first  thing  which  attracted  me  to  you?  I 
remember  I  showed  the  note  to  one  of  our 
senior  partners,  Avho  was  particularly  disturbed 
by  poor  writing,  and  he  said :  '  Engage  him, 
Roberts,  do  !  A  young  man  who  can  write  like 
that  will  be  a  relief.'  Mrs.  Roberts,  I  move 
you  that  we  resolve  ourselves  at  this  moment 
into  a  Avriting-class,  to  be  tfiught  by  Mr.  Ried. 
My  dear  sir,  will  you  take  us  in  hand  ?  " 

Something  of  this  kind  had  been  planned  — 
at  least,  it  had  been  planned  that  Ried  should  be 
asked  to  do  this  thing ;  but  he  found  the  actual 
asking  embarrassing,  and  struggled  with  it  w  ith 
flushinjr  cheeks.     Gracie  came  to  his  aid  :  — 

"  I  don't  know  whether  I  *11  take  lessons  or 
not.     Who  wants  to  expose   one's  ignorance? 


"/  Wonder  What  tliey  Ve  all  After  /  "     201 

How  will  you  teach?  Must  we  each  give  a 
specimen  of  our  present  attainments?" 

Instantly  Ried  divined  the  reason  for  the 
question. 

"No,"  he  said,  eagerly;  "oh,  no;  I  should 
begin  with  those  horrors  of  your  childhood, 
pothooks  or  something  of  that  sort ;  lines  and 
curves,  you  know.  There  are  not  many  of 
them  after  all  in  our  letters,  and  when  once  a 
person  has  conquered  them  it  is  easy  to  put 
them  together." 

There  was  more  talk,  easy  and  social.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Roberts,  the  doctor,  and  Gracie 
seemed  equally  interested  in  the  project,  and 
questioned  young  Ried,  until  he  assured  them 
that  he  began  to  feel  like  a  veritable  professor. 
Apparently  the  boys  were  forgotten.  This  very 
fact  put  them  at  their  ease,  and  they  listened,  in- 
terested and  amused  over  the  thought  that  these 
ladies  and  o-entlemen  wanted  to  go  to  school ! 

At  first  I  do  not  think  it  occurred  to  one  of 
them  that  he  was  included  in  the  proposal  to 
form  a  Avriting-class. 

How  was  it  done  ?  I  am  not  sure  that  any 
one  of  the  eager  group  of  workers  could  have 


262  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking ^ 

told  you  afterward,  so  excited  did  they  become 
over  this  first  scheme.  Nobody  could  remember 
just  what  words  were  said,  nor  who  said  them, 
nor  whether  the  boys  all  looked  equally  startled 
Avhen  paper  and  pen  Avere  put  into  each  hand. 
They  remembered  that  some  shook  their  heads 
emphatically,  and  that  Nimble  Dick  spoke 
plainly :  "  No  you  don't  I  I  can't  write  any 
more  than  a  duck  can,  and  I  never  expect  to." 
Mrs.  Roberts  knew  that  Dirk  Colson's  dark 
face  turned  a  fierce  red,  and  he  snapped  the 
oflTered  pen  half-way  across  the  table  with  his 
indignant  thumb  and  finger.  But  of  these 
words  and  acts  nobod}'  apparently  took  any 
notice.  The  writing  beoan,  and  the  first  marks 
given  as  copies  were  so  simple,  looked  so  easy 
to  do,  and  the  attempts  of  the  ladies  and  gentle- 
men fell  so  far  short  of  what  the  teacher  desired, 
and  were  so  unmercifully  criticised  by  him,  and 
the  criticisms  were  so  merrily  received  by  the 
writers,  that  at  last  the  whole  thing  took  the 
form  of  a  joke  to  Nimble  Dick's  mind,  and  he 
became  possessed  with  a  burning  desire  to  try. 
One  by  one  the  l)oys  stealthily  followed  his 
example ;   Alfred  taking  care  to  watch  eagerly, 


"/  Wonder  What  they're  all  After!  "     263 

to  commend  both  Stephen  Crowley  and  Gracie 
Dennis  in  the  same  breath  for  some  true  stroke, 
and  criticise  both  Mrs.  Roberts  and  Nimble 
Dick  for  not  holding  the  pen  aright. 

The  entire  party  became  so  interested  that 
only  ]Mrs.  Roberts  knew  just  when  Dirk  Colson 
stealthily  filliped  back  his  pen  from  the  distance 
to  which  it  had  been  rolled,  and,  sitting  upright 
that  he  mi^ht  attract  the  less  notice,  tried  his 
hand  on  the  curve  which  was  giving  even  Dr. 
Everett  trouble. 

When  the  young  teacher  discovered  it  he 
made  also  another  discovery,  which  he  pro- 
claimed :  — 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  beg  the  pardon  of  each  of 
you,  but  Colson  here  has  made  the  only  respect- 
able i?-curve  there  is  in  the  company." 

Then  if  his  sister  Mart  had  seen  the  glow  on 
Dirk's  face,  I  am  not  sure  that  she  would  have 
known  him.  There  w^as  a  momentary  trans- 
formation. 

As  for  Mrs.  Roberts,  she  bowed  low  over  the 
letter  she  w^as  carefully  forming,  but  it  was  to 
say  in  soft  whisper  heard  by-  one  ear  alone  :  — 

"Thank  God!" 


CHAPTER  XVm. 

"YOUR'N'S  THE  WAY!" 

OU  are  not  to   suppose,  because  this 

first  Monday  evening  (which,  by  the 

way,  was  concluded  with  sandwiches 

and  coifee)  was  a  success,  pronounced 

so   by  all  concerned,  that   therefore   the  ones 

which  followed  were  all  rose-color. 

Fortunately,  not  one  of  the  workers  expected 
this,  and  so  were  brave  and  cheerful  under  draw- 
backs. 

These  were  numerous  and  varied. 
After  the  first  novelty  wore  off,  it  took  at 
times  only  the  most  trivial  excuses  to  keep  the 
boys  away.  Sometimes  when  they  came  their 
conduct  was  anything  but  encouraging.  They 
lolled  in  the  easy-chairs,  smelling  strongly  of 
tobacco  and  other  bar-room  odors,  refused  inso- 
lently to  apply  themselves  to  any  work  at  hand, 

264 


"row?-'n's  the  Way!''  265 

audibly  pronounced  the  Avhole  thing  "  slow,"  and 
in  numberless  ways  severely  tried  the  patience  of 
both  Alfred  and  Gracie. 

For  the  others,  they  had  counted  the  cost,  — 
at  least  the  gentlemen  had, — and  expected  to 
move  slowly,  even  to  appear  to  go  backward 
some  of  the  time.  As  for  Mrs.  Koberts,  I  have 
told  you  that  she  worked  in  a  peculiar  manner, 
with  the  motto,  "This  one  thing  I  do,"  appar- 
ently ever.before  her. 

Each  evening  was  distinct  in  itself,  with 
efforts  to  make  and  obstacles  to  overcome  ;  and 
at  its  close  she  had  a  way  of  laying  it  aside,  as 
something  with  which  her  part  was  done,  not 
attempting  even  to  calculate  results ;  then  she 
was  ready  to  turn  to  a  new  day,  and  work 
steadily  for  that. 

Ths  winter  was  slipping  away  and  Gracie 
Dennis  lingered.  She  could  hardly  have  told 
you  why,  yet  there  were  many  apparent  rea- 
sons. Mrs.  Roberts  wanted  her,  rejoiced  in 
her,  and  coaxed  irresistibly  as  often  as  the 
thouijht  of  going  home  was  mentioned.  .  Then 
Gracie,  laugh  over  the  peculiar  work  going  on 
as  she  might,  was  undeniably  interested  in  those 


266  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

boys.  She  was  working  for  them,  therefore  of 
course  she  was  interested. 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  go  this  week?" 
would  young  Ried  say  to  Her,  with  a  perplexed 
air ;  "  you  know  we  have  that  matter  all  planned 
for  next  Monday  evening.  How  can  we  carry 
out  the  scheme  if  you  are  not  there  to  do  your 
part?" 

Then  Avould  Gracie  laugh  and  demur  and 
admit,  to  herself  only,  that  it  was  very  pleasant 
to  be  needed  —  as  she  certainly  was  —  for  one 
night  more  ;  and  so  the  nights  passed. 

Her  work  was  to  be  "  Professor  of  Elocu- 
tion," as  Mr.  Roberts  gaily  called  her  when 
the  workers  were  alone  together.  It  hud  been 
discovered  that  she  could  read  both  prose  and 
poetry  with  effect.  So  a  reading-class  was 
organized,  and  they  chose  for  the  first  evening, 
not  one  of  Bryant's  or  Wfiittier's  gems,  nor 
selections  from  Milton  or  Shakespeare,  wiiich 
would  have  suited  part  of  the  company,  nor  yet 
the. ''Easy  Readings"  in  some  standard  spelling- 
l)ook, -which  would  have  fitted  the  capacity  of 
the  others,  but  with  great  care  and  much  dis- 
cussion,  one    of    Will    Carleton's    descriptive 


''Your'n's  the  Way!''  267 

poems,  full  of  homely,  yet  tender  language, 
full  of  pathos  and  of  humor,  was  unanimously 
selected. 

The  first  evening  reading  had  been  commenced 
■with  nuts  and  apples.  There  are  those  who  can 
see  no  connection  between  this  and  the  intellec- 
tual ;  happily  for  the  characters  with  whom  she 
had  to  deal,  Mrs.  Roberts  was  not  one  of  them. 
While  the  others  were  still  enjoying  the  refresh- 
ments she  took  the  book  and  read.  This  was 
her  quiet  little  sacrifice.  It  was  not  pleasant  to 
her  to  become  a  public  reader.  It  required 
courage  to  get  through  with  one  verse,  vvith 
Dr.  Everett  sitting  opposite,  and  Gracie  Dennis 
on  a  low  seat  at  her  side,  and  her  husband  lis- 
tening intently.  Mrs.  Roberts  was  not  a  good 
reader,  and  was  aware  of  it.  She  pronounced 
the  words  correctly,  it  is  true  ;  l)ut  when  you 
had  said  that,  you  had  said  all  that  there  was  to 
ofier  in  praise  of  her  effort.  She  had  some  ex- 
asperating faults.  But  she  bravely  read  the  two 
verses,  and  some  of  the  l)oys  listened,  and  one 
of  them  lausrhed  ;  he  had  cauijht  a  2:leara  of  the 
fun  in  the  poem.  This,  of  course,  was  Nimble 
Dick. 


268  Eater  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking r 

Then  Alfred  Ried  made  the  same  effort  on  the 
same  verses ;  his  performance  was  very  little 
better,  and  he,  too,  knew  it.  He  could  write, 
but  he  was  by  no  means  a  public  render ;  this 
was  his  offerinnj  to  the  <jeneral  s^ood.     If  those 

o  o  o 

fellows,  by  reason  of  his  mistakes,  could  be 
induced  to  climb,  he  was  willing  to  offer  his 
pride  on  the  altar.  No  matter  by  what  petty 
trials  they  were  caught  so  that  they  were  really 
caught. 

Then  followed  Gracie  Dennis,  and  her  own 
father,  acceptable  preacher  though  he  was, 
might  with  credit  to  himself  have  taken  lessons 
of  her.  She  was  certainly,  for  one  so  young 
and  so  unprofessional,  a  magnificent  reader. 
So  indeed  was  Marion  Wilbur,  and  she  had 
enjoyed  teaching  Gracie. 

The  poem  blossomed  in  her  hand.  The 
crunching  of  nuts  and  apples  entirely  ceased. 
The  boys  sat  erect  and  listened  and  laughed 
and  flushed  and  swallowed  suspiciously  over 
some  of  the  homely  pathos.  They  had  never 
heard  anything  like  that  before,  and  they  evi- 
dently appreciated  it.  She  read  through  to  the 
end. 


"  Your'  71  's  the  Way  I "  269 

Then  were  unloosed  the  tongues  !  They  ex- 
claimed in  delight :  — 

"  What  an  accomplishment  it  is  !  "  said  Mr. 
Iloberts ;  "  and  how  few  possess  it.  Doctor, 
how  many  really  fine  readers  have  you  heard  in 
your  life  ?  " 

"About  three,"  said  the  doctor,  laconically. 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts,  "let  us  all  be 
exceptions.  Gracie,  teach  us  how.  I  will  try 
again." 

And  she  did,  on  the  first  verse  of  the  poem  ; 
with  better  success  than  before  ;  but  how  sharp 
the  contrast  between  her  reading  and  Grade's, 
she  knew  !     It  was  not  easy  for  her  to  read. 

I  don't  know,  possibly  I  am  mistaken,  but  it 
seems  to  me  that  I  have  known  people  ready 
for  large  sacrifices,  who  yet  would  shrink  pain- 
fully from  these  little  ones. 

In  discussing  the  programme  for  the  evening, 
the  question  had  been,  when  each  had  done  his 
part.  How  w^ere  they  to  influence  the  boys  to 
join?  Could  they  join?  Was  it  probable  that 
they  knew  enough  about  reading  to  attempt  to 
speak  the  words  of  the  poem  ?  With  reference 
to  this  obstacle  a  poem  had  been  chosen  full  of 


270         Ester  Bled  "Yet  SpeaJcinff." 

simple,  homely  words,  such  as  are  in  common 
use ;  especially  was  the  first  verse  free  from 
Avhat  ]Mr.  Roberts  called  "  shoals."  Having 
heard  the  verse  read  several  times,  it  was  hoped 
that  some  one  of  the  seven  might  have  courage 
to  attempt  it,  but  Gracie  did  not  believe  that 
such  would  be  the  case. 

"  I  don't  see  how  we  can  ask  them,  and  do  it 
naturally,"  said  Dr.  Everett.  "It  is  such  an 
unheard-of  thing,  you  know ;  and  I  am  afraid, 
do  our  best,  it  .will  present  itself  to  them  as  a 
patronage,  and  that  will  be  fatal.  The  people 
who  are  low  enough  to  need  patronage  are  the 
ver}'  ones  who  won't  endure  it." 

Whereupon  various  ways  of  managing  the 
matter  were  discussed  and  discarded ;  suddenly 
Mrs.  Roberts  turned  to  her  young  lieutenant, 
who  had  been  silent  for  some  .time,  and 
said :  — 

"What  are  you  thinking  of,  Mr.  Ried?  Do 
you  see  a  way  out?  " 

"  No,"  he  said ;  "  I  have  neither  knowledge 
nor  skill  in  such  matters,  but  my  thoughts  just 
then  were  far  awav  ;  I  was  thinkinjj  how  curi- 
ously,   certain  apparently  trivial    instances    of 


'*Your'n's  (he  Way!''  271 

one's  childhood  will  stand  out  Avith  almost  start- 
ling prominence.'' 

"  What  sent  you  off  in  that  direction  ? " 
questioned  Dr.  Everett.  "There  must  have 
been  an  association  of  ideas." 

"  Oh,  there  was  ;  I  was  thinking  how  vividly 
I  remembered  a  discussion  between  my  mother 
and  ray  sister,  younger  than  Ester,  in  regard  to 
some  matter  which  perplexed  them  ;  and  w^hen 
they  could  come  to  no  satisfactor}^  conclusion 
they  appealed  to  my  sister  Ester,  who  was 
resting  as  usual  on  her  lounge.  I  can  seem  to 
hear  her  voice  as  she  said  :  ^  We  have  n't  to  do 
anything  about  it  until  to-morrow  ;  perhaps  to- 
morrow will  have  a  light  of  its  own  for  our 
direction.' " 

"  Thank  you  !  '\  Mrs.  Roberts  said,  her  eyes, 
lighting  with  an  appreciative  smile ;  "  w'e  have 
not  to  do  anything  about  this  until  Monday 
night,  and  perhaps  Monday  night  will  see  us 
wise." 

I  don't  know  how  many  thought  of  this  little 
conversation  when  Monday  evening  came,  but 
certainly  Alfred  Ried  and  Mrs.  Roberts  did,  for 
she  glanced  at  him  and  smiled  significantly  when 


272  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

Dr.  Everett,  having  apparently  forgotten  that 
anything  beyond  tlieir  own  pleasure  was  in 
contemplation,  challenged  Gracie  to  a  discussion 
as  to  the  emphasis  on  a  certain  word  in  the 
second  line  ;  he  had  never  heard  it  so  read,  and 
he  called  for  an  analysis  that  would  sustain  the 
reading,  and  received  it,  and  was  not  yet  pre- 
pared to  3'ield  the  point,  but  read  the  verse  as 
he  had  imagined  it  should  be  read,  and  then 
Gracie,  at  Mr.  Roberts'  call,  repeated  it  with 
her  rendering,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  all  parties 
concerned  actually  forgot  their  final  object  in 
the  interest  of  the  discussion  until  they  were 
suddenly  called  to  it  by  an  interrupting  voice  :  — 

"  Your'n  's  the  waj',"  it  said,  with  an  emphatic 
nod  of  a  shock  of  matted  hair,  "your'n 's  the  way  I " 

It  was  Dirk  Colson.  He  had  forgotten  for 
the  moment  that  anybody  was  listening  to  him, 
save  the  two  readers.  He  was  looking  directly 
at  Gracie,  and  the  nods  were  evidently  intended 
for  her. 

"  Of  course  it  is  !  "  she  said,  eagerly,  her  face 
flushing  with  a  triumph  that  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  right  emphasis ;  "  you  read  it,  won't 
you,  and  show  these  people  that  we  are  right?" 


'Tour'n's  the  Way!''  273 

Afterward  Mrs.  Roberts  confessed  that  she 
involuntarily  placed  her  hand  on  her  heart  with 
a  dim  idea  of  hushin<?  its  beating  lest  others 
would  hear,  so  important  to  her  did  the  moment 
seem.  Dr.  Everett  looked  dismayed.  The 
least  hopeful  one  of  the  seven  seemed  Dirk. 
None  of  them  knew  of  his  dangrerous  talent  for 
imitation.  None  of  them  believed  that  he  M'ould 
make  any  attempt  at  i^eading,  but  thought  he 
would  shrink  Into  deeper  sullenness.  All  of 
them  were  mistaken.  He  reached  for  the  book, 
glanced  for  a  moment  over  the  lines,  and  then 
read  the  verse,  with  so  complete  an  imitation  of 
Gracie  Dennis,  and  yet  with  a  voice  and  manner 
that  so  fitted  the  homely  words  and  the  homely 
scene  described  that  the  effect  was  actually 
better  than  when  Gracie  read. 

Instinctively  the  cultured  portion  of  his 
audience  greeted  the  effort  with  a  clapping  of 
hands.  The  blood,  meantime,  rolled  in  dark 
waves  over  Dirk's  face.  He  had  been  cheered 
before.  None  of  his  present  applauders  could 
imagine  what  a  set  had  often  clapped  their  hands 
over  his  successful  imitations ;  but  Dirk,  who 
liked  applause  as  well  as  other  human  beings  do, 


274  Ester  Bled  "  Yet  S2:>ealdngr 

had  never,  in  his  wildest  stretches  of  imagina- 
tion, placed  himself  before  such  people  as 
listened  now  and  received  their  approval. 

Great  was  the  excitement  and  satisfaction. 
The  six  companions,  far  from  feeling  any  emo- 
tion of  jealousy,  seemed  greatly  elated,  believing 
that  one  of  their  number  had  made  a  "hit,"  and 
increased  their  importance. 

No  one  else  could  be  found  to  attempt  the 
verse.  Nimble  Dick  shook  his  head  good- 
naturedly,  and  declared  that  he  would  rather 
"  undertake  to  run  an  engine  to  Californy"  than 
try  it ;  and  the  others  were  of  like  mind.  Then 
came  Gracie  to  the  front  again  :  — 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  you  must  all  do.  I  have 
been  experimenting  with  that  type-writer,  Mr. 
Roberts,  all  the  week.  You  know  it  will 
manifold,  with  the  use  of  carbon  paper,  and  it 
chances  that  when  I  was  seized  with  a  desire  to 
try  its  powers  in  that  direction  I  choose  this 
very  verse  to  copy ;  so  I  have  fifteen  good 
copies  in  print.  You  must  each  take  a  copy  and 
make  this  verse  a  study  until  next  Monday ; 
then  I  shall  challenge  you  all  to  sustain  me  in 
my  reading." 


*'Your'n's  the  Way!''  275 

This  proposition  was  hailed  Avith  such  satis- 
faction by  the  older  members  that  it  immediately 
became  popular,  and  each  boy  received  his 
copy  mechanically  and  gazed  at  it  curiously  ; 
but  Dirk  Colson's  thoughts  were  turned  in 
a  new  channel. 

"Look  here  !"  he  said,  detaining Gracie  by  an 
imperious  inclination  of  his  head,  as  she  handed 
him  the  copy ;  "  how  did  you  make  these  ? 
did  n't  you  print  them  fifteen  times  ?  I  did  n't 
understand  what  you  said." 

"  Why  no  !  "  said  Gracie,  "the  machine  will 
manifold.  I  '11  show  you ;  come  over  to  the 
end  window ;  it  stands  there  waiting  to  be  dis- 
played, and  it  is  a- little  wonder." 

Then  they  crowded  around  the  type-writer, 
and  Gracie,  really  proud  of  the  skill  she  had 
acquired  in  a  week's  time,  showed  off  the  little 
wonder  to  great  advantage. 

The  fact  that  the  type-writer  was  new  to 
most  of  the  others,  that  they  were  decidedly 
ignorant  as  to  its  working,  increased  the  com- 
fort of  the  hour  by  doing  away  with  the  em- 
barrassing feeling  that  any  one  of  them  was  play- 
ing ii  part.     Dr.  Everett  was  no  more  familiar 


276  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

•with  the  type-writer  thtm  was  Dirk  Colson,  and 
was  just  as  eager  to  know  about  it. 

Also  everybody,  apparently,  felt  an  equally 
strong  desire  to  write  his  name  on  the  mar- 
vellous little  creature,  and  each  in  turn  sat 
down  before  it  and  moved  his  awkward  hands 
with  nearly  equal  slowness  over  the  keys,  pick- 
ing out  the  mairic  letters. 

It  was  this  episode  that  made  the  workers  dur- 
ing their  next  conference  branch  out  in  new  lines. 

"  We  need  something,"  said  Dr.  Everett, 
walking  up  and  down  the  floor  in  puzzled 
thought,  ''  we  need  somethinir  that  shall  be  a 
genuine  common  interest,  of  which  we  are  all, 
or  all  but  one,  equally  ignorant  —  something 
that  we  can  take  hold  of  with  zest,  on  as  low 
a  platform  as  the  most  ignorant  of  those  seven. 
I  Avas  convinced  of  that  when  I  saw  the  abandon 
with  which  we  all  went  into  the  type-writer 
business  with  a  naturalness  and  equality  that,  in 
the  matter  of  reading  and  writing,  it  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  feel.  If  the  machine  were 
complicated,  so  that  it  would  take  us  each  three 
months  or  so  to  master  it,  that  would  do.  What 
can  we  take  up  that  will  place  us  on  a  level  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

"WE  HAVE  BEGUN  BACKWARDS." 

ELL,"  said  Mr.  Ried,  "  Ave  should  want 
to  have  one  of  ouv  number  not '  on  a 
level.'  How  would  it  do  to  appoint 
jou,  sir,  to  give  us  a  few  lectures  in 
Hygiene  ?  Popular  lectures  about  air  and  ex- 
ercise and  ventilation  and  bathing,  and  all  sorts 
of  every-day  topics,  about  which  people  are 
ignorant." 

"  That 's  a  capital  idea,  Ried.  Those  fellows 
could  certainly  be  benefited  by  a  little  attention 
to  such  questions  ;  and  I  'm  sure  the  rest  of  us 
would  like  to  hear  of  the  principles  which  gov- 
ern these  important  laws.  Such  lectures  put 
into  popular  form  are  decidedly  interesting,  I 
think.  Let  us  vote  for  them.  "  This  was  Mr. 
Roberts'  hearty  seconding. 
But  the  doctor  laughed. 

"  There  is  a  ludicrous  side  to  it  which  you  do 
not  see,"  he   said.    "  Imagine  me  holding  forth 

277 


278  Ester  Hied  ''Yet  Sj)eakmff." 

on  the  importance  of  ventilation,  for  instance,  to 
u  poor  fellow  who  comes  from  a  region  where 
father  and  mother,  and  a  horde  of  children  of 
both  sexes  and  all  ages,  crowd  together  in  one 
room,  and  that  a  cellar,  where  the  sun  never 
}>cnetrates  and  the  air  that  crawls  in  through  the 
one  small  window  is  reeking  with  even  more 
impurities  than  can  be  found  inside.  Or  talk- 
ing about  bathing,  to  the  poor  WTctches  who  have 
no  clothes  to  change,  and  barely  water  enough, 
by  carrying  it  long  distances,  to  satisfy  their 
most  pressing  needs  !  Still,  Ried,  I  'm  not  quar- 
relling with  your  idea.  There  is  a  sensible  side 
to  it ;  there  are  things  that  I  could  tell  even 
those  boys  which  might  interest  them,  and 
would  certainly  be  to  their  advantage  to  know. 
The  subject  is  one  which  can  be  popularized 
to  suit  even  such  an  audience.  I  '11  try  for 
it  occasionally  if  it  shall  seem  best ;  but  it 
does  n't  meet  ray  demand.  I  want  us  all  on  a 
platform  where  we  shall  start  in  equal  ignor- 
ance and  ffet  on  toirether.  Of  course  you  are 
all  more  or  less  familiar  with  all  the  facts  that  I 
should  have  to  present,  and  the  boys  would 
know  it.     They  are  sharp  fellows  ;  it  would  n't 


**  We  Have  Begun  Backwards.^'        279 

take  them  an  hour  to  discover  that  we  were 
fishing  for  them ;  and  if  there  is  anj'  one  thing 
on  which  they  are  at  present  determined,  it  is, 
probably,  that  they  will  not  be  benefited.  What 
is  there  that  one  of  us  knows  of  which  the 
others  are  ignorant?  French  won't  do,  for  Miss 
Dennis  is  acquainted  with  that  language,  I  think, 
and  so  are  30U,  Hied,  are  you  not?" 

"Well,  I  can  stammer  through  a  few  sen- 
tences. I  don't  speak  it  like  a  native  as  you 
do." 

At  this  revelation  a  vivid  blush  glowed  on 
Gracie  Dennis'  cheek.  She  remembered  Pro- 
fessor Ellis'  comments  in  French.  Then  the 
doctor  had  understood,  though  his  face  was  so 
imperturbable  !  What  could  he  have  thought 
of  the  courtesy  of  her  guest  ? 

Meantime  Mr.  Ried  wore  a  perplexed  face. 

"  You  are  right,"  he  said  to  the  doctor ;  "  we 
are  not  enough  on  a  level ;  I  felt  our  advantage 
last  night  when  Miss  Dennis  was  explaining 
the  type-writee ;  but  I  don't  see  the  way  clear. 
What  subject  is  there  on  which  all  but  one  of 
us  could  meet  on  common  ground,,  and  that  one 
could  turn  professor?" 


280  Es(er  Rled  "  Yet  Speeding." 

Here  interposed  Mr.  Roberts,  speaking  in  a 
meek  tone  of  voice  :  — 

"  If  I  were  not  a  modest  man  I  should  ven- 
ture a  suggestion  ;  as  it  is,  I  really  don't  know 
what  to  do." 

The  doctor  turned  to  him  quickly  :  — 

"  Out  with  it,  man ;  if  you  are  master  of  a 
profession  or  a  trade  or  a  .theory  unknown  to 
the  rest  of  us,  you  are  bound  on  your  honor  as 
a  member  of  this  unique  organization  to  pre- 
sent it." 

At  the  same  moment  Mrs.  Eoberts  came  to 
his  aid. 

"  Oh,  Evan,  teach  us  short-hand  !'' 

Whereupon  INIr.  Roberts  heaved  what  was 
intended  to  appear  as  a  relieved  sigh,  and  an- 
nounced that  his  modesty  was  preserved. 

Upon  this  suggestion  they  seized  with  eager- 
ness ;  not  one  ot  them  knew  anything  about 
plionetic  writing  save  Mr.  Roberts,  and  he  was 
master  of  the  ait. 

"  It  is  the  very  thing  !  "  the  doctor  said,  with 
heartiness.  "  I  should  like  exceedingly  to  learn 
it,  and  Ried  and  the  ladies  may  be  able  to  make 
it  useful  in  a  hundred  ways ;  and  as  for  the 


"  We  Have  Begun  jBacku-ard.9.''        281 

seven,  if  they  really  master  it,  it  may  be  the 
foundation  of  a  fortune  for  some  of  them." 

So,  without  more  ado,  it  was  planned  that  at 
the  very  next  Monday  evening  the  sul)ject 
should  be  skilfully  presented,  its  importance 
and  its  fascinations  discus<;ed,  and  the  boys  be 
beguiled  into  taking  a  first  lesson,  sandwiched 
in  between  the  all-important  reading  and  writing 
lessons. 

Alas  for  plans  !  On  the  very  next  Monday 
the  conspirators,  with  the  exception  of  young 
Eied,  were  together  by  seven  o'clock.  The 
faint  aroma  of  coffee  floated  through  the  room. 
A  fruit-basket  filled  with  oranges  occupied  a 
conspicuous  table,  and  everything  waited  for 
the  guests. 

While  they  waited,  instead  of  enjoying  them- 
selves as  the  four  were  certainly  capable  of 
doing,  they  were  noticeably  restless ;  listened 
for  the  shufifling  of  careless  feet  on  the  steps, 
and  the  sound  of  uncultured  voices  in  the  hall, 
and  waited  expectantly  whenever  the  l)ell 
pealed,  only  to  be  obliged  to  send  word  to 
some  caller  that  "  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  were 
engao-ed." 


282  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaMng:' 

The  special  occupation  of  the  four  seemed  to 
be  to  look  at  their  watches  and  to  remark  that 
the  doctor's  was  a  trifle  fast,  and  to  wonder  if 
half-past  seven  would  be  a  more  suitable  hour 
for  the  boys,  and  to  wonder  what  could  be 
detaining  Ried. 

At  last  it  was  half-past  seven,  and  then  it  was 
fifteen  minutes  of  eight,  and  then  it  was  ten 
minutes  of  eight !  And  then  the  door-bell  rang 
again.  It  was  Ried,  and  he  was  alone  !  One 
glance  at  his  distressed  face  told  the  lookers-on 
that  something  was  amiss,  even  before  he  ex- 
claimed :  — 

"  You  won't  see  a  boy  to-night !  " 

"  Why  ?  "  "  What  is  the  trouble  ?  "  "  Where 
are  they?" 

These  were  the  various  ways  of  putting  the 
same  question. 

"  One  of  the  McCullum  partners  has  become 
interested  in  the  boys,  it  seems,  and  has  con- 
cluded that  he  Avill  try  what  he  can  do  towards 
their  elevation ;  so  he  has  commenced  by  pre- 
senting each  one  of  them  Avith  a  ticket  to  the 
Green  Street  Theatre,  and  there  they  are  at  this 
moment !  " 


''We  Have  Begun  Backwards."        283 

This  startling  intelligence  was  variously  re- 
ceived.    Dr.  Everett  exclaimed  :  — 

"Is  it  possible?" 

Gracie  Dennis  remarked  that  it  was  something 
like  what  she  had  expected ;  Mrs.  Roberts  said 
not  a  word,  and  Mr.  Roberts  added  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  moment  bj  bursting  into  a 
laugh. 

Poor  Ried  seemed  to  feel  the  laugh  more  than 
anything ;  his  face  gathered  into  heavier  clouds 
than  before,  he  bit  his  lip  to  hold  back  the 
vexed  words  that  were  just  ready  to  burst  forth, 
and  strode  almost  angrily  to  the  further  corner 
of  the  room. 

An  embarrassed  silence  seemed  to  fall  upon 
the  others.  At  least  Gracie  felt  embarrassed ; 
the  doctor  looked  simply  expectant. 

At  last  Mr.  Roberts  drew  himself  up  from 
his  lounging  attitude  and  broke  into  the  still- 
ness. 

"Ah,  now,  good  people,  don't  let  us  make 
serious  mistakes  !  Come  back  here,  my  dear 
young  brother,  and  let  us  look  this  thing  in  the 
face,  and  talk  it  over  calmly.  Are  we  children 
playing   at   benevolence  that  at  the   lirst   dis- 


284  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

couragemeut  we  should  cry  out,  'All  is  lost!' 
and  retire  vanquished?  Come,  I  laughed  be- 
cause really  this  does  not  seem  such  a  serious 
matter  to  me  as  it  seems  to  present  to  the  rest 
of  you. 

"  What  did  we  expect?  Here  are  seven  boys, 
right  from  the  gutters ;  somehow  we  have  had 
them  laid  on  our  hearts,  and  have  enlisted  to 
help  fight  the  battle  that  is  going  on  about  them 
in  this  world.  Christ  died  to  save  them,  and 
Satan  means  that  the  sacrifice  shall  l)e  in  vain. 
He  is  bringing  all  his  powers  to  bear  on  them ; 
and  he  has  many  and  varied  powers. 

"  Here  comes  into  the  scene  a  man  benevo- 
lently inclined  ;  not  a  Christian,  but  in  his  way 
a  philanthropist.  By  accident  he  has  come  in 
contact  with  one  of  the  boys ;  by  accident  he 
learns  that  something  —  he  does  not  know  quite 
w^hat  —  is  being  attempted  to  benefit  them. 
Can't  you  give  him  the  credit  of  being  honest? 
The  only  thing  he  thinks  of  that  he  can  do  to 
help  is  to  give  them  an  evening's  entertainment. 
At  one  of  the  decent  theatres  there  is  being  pre- 
sented what  seems  to  be  known  in  their  parlance 
as  a  '  moral  play  I '     So  he  presents  each  boy 


"  We  Have  Begun  Backwards.'"        285 

■with  a  ticket.  Xow,  what  did  we  expect  of 
those  boys? 

"  Last  week  a  lady  and  two  gentlemen  who 
have  been  members  of  our  church  for  3'ears,  left 
the  regular  prayer-meeting,  and  went  to  the 
Philharmonic  concert. 

"  Ought  we  to  expect  that  it  would  even  occur 
to  our  seven  boys  to  give  up  what  to  them  is  a 
rare  treat  for  the  pleasure  of  spending  an  even- 
ing with  us?  As  for  the  moral  obligation,  they 
have  probably  never  so  much  as  heard  the 
words. 

"  Is  n't  it  time  we  knew  what  we  w^ere  about? 
What  are  we  after  ?  It  is  well  enough  to  teach 
the  poor  fellows  to  read  and  write,  and  to  help 
lift  them  up  in  other  ways,  but  our  Efforts  will 
amount  to  very  little  unless  we  succeed  in  bring- 
ing them  to  the  great  Lever  of  human  society  ; 
unless  Christ  takes  hold  of  this  thing  we  shall 
fail.  Now,  has  He  taken  hold?  Is  He,  at  least, 
as  much  interested  in  them  as  we  are  ?  Is  His 
Holy  Spirit  preceding  and  supplementing  all  our 
efforts?  And,  if  this  is  the  case,  is  an  evening 
at  a  theatre  going  to  ruin  His  plans  ?  " 

Lonof   before   these   earnest   sentences   were 


286  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

concluded  Ried  had  returned  from  his  distant 
corner,  and  taken  a  seat  near  his  employer ; 
his  eves  were  full  of  tears,  and  his  voice 
trembled ;  — 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Roberts ;  I  'm  an 
ignorant  blunderer ;  I  did  feel  for  the  moment 
as  though  everything  were  lost." 

"AVe  have  begun  backwards,"  said  Mr.  Rob- 
erts ;  "  I  was  reading  to-day  what  a  mistake  the 
missionaries  made  for  years  in  trjnngto  civilize 
the  Greenlanders ;  and  what  a  perfect  failure 
they  made  of  it  until  one  day,  almost  by  acci- 
dent, a  man  began  to  tell  them  about  Christ  on 
the  cross,  and  the  story  melted  them.  I  don't 
think  we  have  thought  enough  about  Him  in  this 
matter." 

"I  stand  convicted,"  Dr.  Everett  said ;  "  I  've 
made  the  same  mistake,  I  believe,  in  all  my 
efforts  for  people.  I  have  been  praying  for 
them,  it  is  true;  but,  after  all,  I  feel  now 
as  though  there  had  been  too  much  relying  on 
human  means,  and  not  enough  on  God.  It  is  a 
case  of  '  these  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to 
have  left  the  other  undone.'  " 

"  Well,"   said  Mr.   Roberts,  looking   at   his 


*^  We  Have  Begu a  Backwards.''        287 

watch,  "  we  are  in  the  same  condemnation  ;  it  is, 
I  believe,  the  most  common,  and  one  of  the 
most  fatal,  mistakes  that  Christian  workers 
make.  But  there  is  a  way  out.  We  expected 
to  spend  until  ten  o'clock  with  those  boys.  It 
is  nearly  nine  now ;  suppose  we  spend  the  next 
hour  with  Christ,  asking  for  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  any  and  every  effort  that  we  may 
make  for  them  in  the  future?  Our  ultimate  aim 
is  to  bring  every  one  of  them  to  Jesus  and  He 
knows  it ;  now  if  we  have  gone  about  in  the 
wrong  way,  we  have  only  to  ask  His  forgiveness 
and  look  to  Him  steadily  for  guidance.  What 
do  you  say,  friends,  shall  we  spend  the  hour  in 
taking  them  to  the  only  One  who  really  can 
afford  them  lasting  help  ?  " 

I  suppose  that  He  who  "  maketh  the  wrath  of 
man  to  praise  Him  "  is  equally  able  to  manage 
the  folly  of  man.  Could  the  injudicious  philan- 
thropist have  looked  into  that  room  that  even- 
ing, and  heard  the  prayers  that  went  up  to  God 
for  those  boys,  and  understood  something  of  the 
power  of  prayer,  he  would  have  had  one  illus- 
tration of  how  God  manages  the  foolishness  of 
men. 


288  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

It  was  a  very  earnest  prayer-meeting.  These 
workers  had  each  one  bowed  in  secret,  and, 
with  more  or  less  earnestness,  asked  for  God's 
blessing  on  their  efforts  ;  but  it  occurred  to  them 
that  evening,  as  a  very  strange  thing,  that  they 
had  never  unitedly  prayed  for  this  before. 
Therefore  there  was  an  element  of  confession 
in  all  the  pra3'ers  that  moved  Gracie  Dennis 
strangely.  Especially  Avas  this  the  case  when 
she  heard  her  old  acquaintance.  Flossy,  pour 
out  her  soul's  longings.  It  happened,  so  strange 
are  the  customs  of  Christians,  that  though  this 
was  the  daughter  of  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
herself  a  Christian,  she  had  never  before  heard 
a  lady  pray  in  the  presence  of  gentlemen.  She 
had  heard  of  their  doing  so ;  heard  them  criti- 
cised with  sharp  sarcasm.  Some  of  the  criti- 
cisms which  had  sounded  full  of  keenness  and 
wit  when  she  heard  them,  recurred  to  her  at 
this  time,  and  some  way,  with  Flossy's  low, 
earnest  voice  filling  her  heart,  they  dwindled 
into  shallowness  and  coarseness.  All  the  same, 
their  baneful  influence  was  on  her,  and  helped 
to  hold  her  back  from  opening  her  lips,  for  the 
critic  had  been  Professor  Ellis. 


"  We  Have  Begun  Backwards."        289 

When  the  hostess  and  her  young  guest  were 
left  alone  together  that  evening,  the  latter  had  a 
question  to  ask  :  — 

"Flossy  Shipley!"  —  the  name  you  will 
remember  which  she  always  went  back  to  when 
excited  —  "I  did  n't  know  you  believed  in  pray- 
ing in  public  /  Have  you  changed  in  every- 
thing ?  " 

''In  public,  my  dear!"  with  a  quiet  smile; 
"  Avhy,  I  am  in  my  own  house  !  " 

'^  Oh,  yes  ;  but  you  know  what  I  mean  — 
before  gentlemen.  Do  you  really  think  it  is» 
necessary  ?  " 

"As  to  that,  Gracie,  I  don't  believe  I  thought 
anything  about  it.  I  wanted  to  pray  for  those 
boys,  and  so  I  prayed." 

"  And  didn't  you  really  shrink  from  it  at  all? 
Ho>v  very  queer  !  Flossy,  I  do  believe  nobody 
was  ever  so  much  changed  by  religion  as  you 
have  been.  I  don't  see  what  makes  the  differ- 
ence. I'm  sure  I  think  I'm  a  Christian,  but  J. 
could  never  do  such  a  thin":  as  that." 

"  Not  if  you  believed  it  to  be  your  duty?" 

"  But  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  the  fair  logician, 
her  face  flushing  ;  "  I  think  it  is  out  of  place.    ] 


290  Ester  JRied  ''Yet  Speaking. '' 

beg  your  pardon,  Flossy,  I  don't  mean  I  think 
it  sounded  badly  iia  you ;  but  only  that  for  me 
it  would  be  horrid,  and  Icouldn't  do  it." 

"  Then  what  are  you  talking  about,  my  dear  ? 
If  you  should  never  consider  it  your  duty,  you 
would  certainly  never  be  called  upon  to  do  it." 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

"  on,  WHAT  A  NICE  THOUGHT  !  " 

HIS  very  calm  view  of  the  question 

gave  Gracie  time  to  recover  from  her 

excitement,  and  to  laugh  at  her  folly. 

Then  Mrs.  Eoberts  said,  still  speaking 

very  gently  :  — 

"  I  don't  want  to  argue  with  you,  dear,  and  I 
could  n't  if  I  wished ;  you  know  I  am  a  dunce 
about  all  such  things ;  but  I  just  want  to  ask 
you  a  little  question  ;  you  need  not  answer  me 
unless  you  choose  ;  not  now,  that  is  —  perhaps 
some  time  we  may  want  to  talk  about  it.  I 
would  like  to  know  the  reasons  that  people 
have  for  thinking  that  it  is  out  of  place  for  a 
lady  to  kneel  down  with  her  Christian  friends 
and  speak  to  Jesus  about  a  thing  that  they 
unitedly  desire,  and  that  they  believe  He  is  able 
to  do  for  them  ?  If  it  is  not  proper  to  speak 
before  them,  why  is  it  proper  to  speak  to  them 
on  the  same  subject?" 

291 


292  Jester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

» 
This  question  Grade  carried  to  her  room  for 

thought. 

Meantime,  as  Dr.  Everett  and  young  Ried 
■went  homeward,  they  had  a  talk  together. 

"  When  I  found  out  that  those  boys  had  gone 
to  the  theatre  to-night  I  was  completely  dis- 
couraged," declared  Ried.  "  It  seemed  to  me 
that  our  work  was  a  failure ;  I  could  alnjost  see 
Satan  lauffhin*?  over  the  success  of  his  scheme. 
I  never  felt  so  about  anything  in  my  life.  And 
now  it  seems  to  me  that  perhaps  the  Lord  will 
let  it  result  in  being  the  best  thing  that  ever 
happened  to  us." 

To  all  of  which  Dr.  Everett  made  the  ap- 
parentlj-^  irrelevant  answer :  — 

"  Mr.  Roberts  and  his  wife  are  singularly 
well  mated ;  how  perfectly  they  fit  into  each 
other's  thoughts.  Ried,  you  and  I  have  a  great 
deal  to  learn  from  them." 

"  I  have,"  said  Ried,  meekly. 

Yet  another  bit  of  talk  closed  this  evening  : 

"  McCullum  has  given  me  an  idea,"  Mr.  Rob- 
erts said  to  his  wife  as  they  sat  together  review- 
ing the  day.  "  Not  a  bad  one,  I  fancy.  I  won- 
der when  we  can  act  on  it  and  watch  results? 


"Oh,  What  a  Mce  Thought!''       293 

There  are  tickets  for  other  places  besides 
theatres.  Why  could  n't  we  furnish  them  for 
some  entertainment,  lecture,  or  concert,  or 
something  of  the  sort,  that  would  be  really  help- 
ful? The  only  difficulty  is  that  there  are  few 
helpful  places  as  yet  within  reach  of  their 
capacities.  It  takes  an  exceptional  genius  to 
hold  such  listeners." 

But  his  wife,  her  face  aglow,  clasped  her 
hands  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight. 

"  What  a  beautiful  thought !  "  she  said  ;  "  and 
how  nice  that  it  should  come  to  you  just  now, 
when  there  will  be  such  a  splendid  opportunity 
to  put  it  in  practice.  Why,  don't  you  know? 
Gough,  next  week,  fifty  cent  tickets ;  on  tem- 
perance, too!  how  grand!  And  Evan,  let  us 
give  them  each  two  tickets.  I  want  that  Dirk 
Colson  to  take  his  sister ;  perhaps  he  will  not, 
but  then  he  may ;  one  can  never  tell.  Oh, 
Evan,  won't  it  be  nice?" 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Mr.  Roberts,  "  as  usual  you  are 
ahead  of  me.  I  had  not  thoujrht  of  the  two 
tickets  apiece.  That  is  a  suggestion  for  their 
manliness.     Flossy,  we  '11  try  it." 

Yet  another  bit  of  talk. 


294  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

They  shambled  down  the  stairs  from  the 
second-rate  liall  at  a  late  hour  that  eveninof  — 
those  seven  bo^^s  ;  quiet  for  them,  though  the 
play  had  been  exciting,  and  not  remarkably 
moral  "  viewed"  from  the  standpoint  of  a  Chris- 
tian. 

"After  all,"  said  Nimble  Dick,  breaking  a 
silence  with  speech,  as  though  the  sul)ject  of 
which  he  spoke  had  been  undel*  discussion 
among  them,  "  after  all,  it  was  rather  sneaking 
to  bolt  and  say  nothing ;  I  kind  of  wish  we 
hadn't  done  it." 

"  That's  what  I  told  you  all  along,"  said  Dirk 
Colson,  with  even  unusual  sullenness,  "  but  you 
would  go  and  do  it,  and  we  was  fools  enough  to 
follow  you." 

"  And  I  '11  bet  she  had  oysters  or  something  ! " 
This  from  Jerry  Tompkins ;  yoii  have  probably 
no  idea  how  hungry  he  was  at  that  moment. 

"They  was  goin'  to  do  somethin'  new  to- 
night ;  that  there  Dennis  girl  told  mc  so  when 
I  met  her  on  the  street  yesterday ;  something 
that  we  would  like  first  rate,  she  said  —  a  bran- 
new  notion."  This  was  Stephen  Crowley's  con- 
tribution to  the  general  discomfort. 


''Oh,  What  a  JSTke  Thought!''       295 

"  Well,"  said  Nimble  Dick,  and  the  sigh  with 
which  he  spoke  the  word  would  have  gone  to 
Mrs.  Roberts'  heart,  "  I  s'pose  it 's  all  up  now ; 
I  should  n't  wonder  if  we  never  got  another  bid  ; 
I  wouldn't  if  I  was  them,  I  know  that;  and 
their  old  theatre  was  n't  no  great  shakes,  after 
all.  We  've  been  a  pack  of  fools,  and  I  don't 
mind  owning  it." 

Whereupon,  having  reached  the  corner,  they 
separated  and  went  glumly  to  their  homes.  And 
this  is  gratitude  !  What  a  pity  Mr.  McCullum 
—  who  had  been  smiling  over  his  benevolence 
all  the  evening  —  could  not  have  heard  them  ! 

The  weeks  that  followed  this  night,  were 
crowded  with  trifles  on  which  hung  important 
and  far-reaching  results.  This  is  a  very  trite 
saying,  I  know.  All  wrecks  are  crowded  with 
eventful  trifles ;  at  least,  we  in  our  blindness 
call  them  trifles,  although  we  are  constantly  dis- 
covering their  importance,  and  being  constantly 
astonished  over  them. 

Among  other  things,  the  seven  boys  became 
nine,  — having  taken  to  their  companionship  two 
choice  spirits,  apparently  worse  than  themselves, 
and  appeared  at  the  South  End  Mission  with  all 


206  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

'  the  bravado  that  bo^'s  of  their  stamp  are  apt  to 
put  on  -when  thej  feel  somewhat  ashamed  of 
themselves.  The  consequence  was  that  the 
trials  which  jNIrs.  Rol^erts  had  to  endure  from 
them,  though  a  trifle  less  apparent  to  others, 
were  not  a  whit  less  distressing  than  usual. 

But  before  the  session  was  concluded  they 
were  treated  to  a  sensation  that  held  them  in 
silent  astonishment  for  nearly  five  minutes. 
Any  person  w^ell  acquainted  with  Alfred  Ried 
could  have  told  that  he  had  a  plan  in  view,  and 
w^as  trying  to  carry  it  in  the  face  of  some  oppo- 
sition, lie  looked  convinced,  and  Mr.  Durant 
looked  astonished  and  troubled  ;  there  was  much 
low-toned  talk  between  them  and  some  shakino- 
of  head.  Apparently,  however,  Mr.  Ried  came 
oflT  victor,  for  his  brow  cleared,  and  he  presently 
made  his  way  to  Mrs.  Roberts'  side  and  said  a 
iew  w^ords,  and  must  have  been  gratified  by  the 
sudden  lighting  up  of  her  face  and  her  eager :  — 
"  Oh,  what  a  nice  thought !  Even  if  it  fails, 
apparently,  it  will  not  utterly,  for  the  sugges- 
tion will  help  them." 

In  the  course  of  time  the  new  idea  came  to 
the  front.    There  was  to  be  a  festival,  or  a  social, 


"0/^  W/mt  a  Nice  Thought!"       297 

or  an  entertainment  at  the  South  End  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks,  —  a  sort  of  anniversary 
of  the  startino;  of  the  Mission.  Amonsj  other 
Avork  that  was  in  prorgess,  the  decoration  of  the 
room,  involving  the  hanging  of  pictures,  ban- 
ners, mottoes,  wreaths,  etc.,  required  some 
strong  arms  and  willing  hands.  Committees 
Avere  to  be  formed.  Two  Aveeks  before,  teachers 
had  been  appointed  to  prepare  a  list  of  com- 
mittees. It  fell  to  young  Ried  to  appoint  the 
committee  on  decoration.  When  he  was  called 
upon  for  his  report,  he  came  promptly  forward, 
like  a  man  ready  for  action,  and  commenced  :  — 

"  A  committee  of  four  has  been  deemed  amply 
sufficient  for  decoration,  and  I  appoint  for  the 
purpose  the  folloAving :  Richard  Bolton,  Morris 
Burns,  Miss  Gracie  Dennis,  and  Miss  Annie 
Powell."  * 

The  teachers,  Avho  had  been  long  at  the  Mis- 
sion, looked  from  one  to  another  Avith  a  bcAvil- 
dered  air.  Morris  Burns  they  kneAv,  —  a  clear- 
eyed  young  Scotchman,  AA-ith  Avilling  hands  and 
feet  ever  ready  to  run  of  errands  for  all  Avork- 
ers ;  a  boy  of  nineteen  or  so,  Avhom  everybody 
liked  ;  AA'arm-hearted,  unselfish,  and  thoroughly 


298  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

trustworthy.  Annie  Powell  was  one  of  the 
older  girls  in  Mr.  Durant's  Bible-class  ;  a  sweet- 
faced,  ladylike  little  factory  girl,  who  would  work 
in  with  Morris  Burns  nicely.  Miss  Gracie  Den- 
nis was  Mrs.  Roberts'  beautiful  young  friend ; 
all  the  teachers  knew  her,  and  all  thought 
it  very  kind  in  her  to  throw  her  strength 
and  taste  into  the  preparations  as  heartily  as 
though  she  were  one  of  them.  But  who  was 
Richard  Bolton?  Nobody  knew.  Yet  their 
knowledge  of  business  etiquette  told  them  that 
he  was  chairman  of  the  Decoration  Committee. 
Where  was  he?  Not  a  teacher,  certainly,  for 
they  were  intimately  acquainted  with  one  an- 
other ;  and  they  knew  no  such  name  in  the  one 
Bible-class  made  up  of  trustworthy  helpers. 

Over  in  Mrs.  Roberts'  class,  with  the  single 
exception  of  the  teacher,  there  was  equal  ignor- 
ance ;  the  nine  boys  had  stopped  their  restless 
mischief  to  listen,  because  there  is  a  sort  of 
fascination  to  boys  in  all  the  details  of  well- 
managed  business ;  they  liked,  to  hear  the  ap- 
pointments ;  but  who  Richard  Bolton  might  be 
seemed  not  to  occur  to  one  of  them.  It  is  true 
that  Jerry  Tompkins  nudged  Nimble  Dick  in 


"0/i,  What  a  Nice  Thought!''       299 

anything  but  a  quiet  way  with  his  elbow,  and 
murmured,  "  You  've  got  a  namesake  it  seems  in 
this  'ere  job."     Yet  no  light  dawned  on  them. 

Mr.  Durant,  who,  it  is  possible,  has  not  ap- 
peared to  you  in  a  fjivorable  light,  for  the  rea- 
son that  he  was  being  much  perplexed  by  the 
entirely  new  methods  being  introduced  among 
the  boys  who  had  heretofore  driven  him  to  the 
very  verge  of  desperation,  was  really  a  quick- 
witted man,  and  having  succumbed  to  w'hat  he 
feared  was  a  wild  experiment,  knew  how  to  help 
carry  it  out  properly.  He  came  briskly  to  the 
front,  —  Alfred's  committee  being  the  last  on 
the  list,  —  and  began  his  work. 

"  The  chairmen  of  these  different  committees 
will  be  kind  enough  to  report  to  me  as  rapidly 
as  possible  the  time  and  place  of  their  first 
meeting  for  consultation,  and  I  will  make  the 
announcements."  Then  he  stepped  to  Mrs. 
Roberts'  class.  "Bolton,"  he  said,  bending  to- 
ward that  astonished  scamp,  and  speaking  as 
though  this  were  an  every-day  affair,  "  you  are 
chairman,  I  believe,  of  the  Decoration  Com- 
mittee ;  where  and  when  will  you  have  them 
meet?" 


300  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking r 

Imagine  Nimble  Dick's  eyes  !  Nay,  imagine 
the  eyes  and  faces  of  the  entire  nine  !  It  would 
have  been  a  study  for  an  artist. 

For  a  moment  Nimble  Dick  was  speechless ; 
then  he  managed  to  burst  forth  Avith  :  — 

"  What  in  thunder  are  you  talking  about  ?  " 

"  Your  committee,"  said  Mr.  Durant,  politely 
ignoring  the  manner  of  the  questioner.  "  You 
must  call  them  together,  you  know,  to  plan 
3^our  work.     Where  shall  it  be,  and  when?" 

"  I  ain't  got  no  committee  ;  and  I  ain't  got  no 
place  to  meet  nobody  ;  and  I  don't  know  what 
in  thunder  you  're  after." 

Then  came  Mrs.  Roberts  to  the  rescue  :  — 

"Why,  Mr.  Bolton,  you  can  meet  at  our 
society  parlor,  you  know ;  it  is  the  very 
place,  and  will  be  so  conveniejit  for  Miss 
Dennis." 

"What's  to  meet,  and  what's  to  do?"  said 
Dick,  defiantly.  "I  ain't  going  to  meet  no- 
body." 

"  Why,  it  is  just  to  hang  mottoes  and  ban- 
ners, and  trim  the  room  for  the  Anniversary. 
Of  course  you  '11  help  ;  I  would  have  the  meet- 
ing arranged  there  by  all  means." 


"0/i,  What  a  JSTice  Thought/"       301 

"  Very  well,  said  Mr.  Durant,  quickly,  as 
thoush  he  had  received  the  answer  from  the 
chairman  himself.  "  Now  as  to  time ;  you 
ouofht  to  come  toirether  to-morrow  evenius^  if 
you  could  ;  there  is  a  good  deal  to  do." 

"Mr.  Bolton,  couldn't  you  come  up  at  six 
o'clock  for  once?  Then  you  could  get  your 
work  all  done  before  the  time  for  our  social.  I 
can  arrange  for  Annie  Powell  to  be  there  at 
that  time ;  and,  Mr.  Durant,  does  n't  Morris 
Burns  work  for  3'ou  ?  Could  he  be  present  at 
six  o'clock  ?  Then  I  don't  see  but  your  meeting 
is  nicely  planned.  You  can  be  there  at  six, 
can't  you,  Mr.  Bolton?" 

"  I  tell  you  I  don't  know  nothin'  what  you  are 
talking  about." 

Nimble  Dick,  who  was  rarely  anything  but 
good-natured,  was  surprised  hy  the  bewilder- 
ments of  the  situation  mto  beinij  almost  as  fierce 
as  Dirk  Colson  was  habitually ;  the  gaping 
amazement  of  his  boon  companions  seeming  to 
add  to  his  irritation. 

"But  you  will,"  said  his  teacher,  cheerily. 
"  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  explain ;  Miss  Dennis 
knows  all  about  such  things  ;  and  I  'm  going  to 


302  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaMng.'* 

help,  though  they  have  n't  honored  me  with  an 
appointment." 

At  a  sign  from  the  lady,  Mr.  Durant  stepped 
back  to  his  platform  and  announced :  — 

"  The  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Decora- 
tion desires  me  to  say  that  his  committee  is 
called  toorether  to-morrow  eveninij,  at  the  Youmy 
Men's  Social  Parlors,  No.  76  East  Fifty-fifth 
Street,  at  six  o'clock,  sharp,  as  the  chairman 
has  another  engagement  at  seven." 

"  I  had  to  coin  a  name  for  the  place  of  meet- 
ing," he  said  to  Mrs.  Roberts  afterwards.  "  I 
beg  your  pardon  if  it  was  wrong ;  but  Ried  has 
been  giving  me  glowing  accounts -of  that  room, 
and  you  said  something  about  its  being  a  social 
parlor,  did  n't  you  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  good  name,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts. 
"  We  have  awkwardly  called  it  the  '  new  room.' 
I  am  glad  it  is  christened.  I  will  have  some 
curtains  hung  through  the  centre  to-morrow,  to 
make  parlors  instead  of  parlor  of  it ;  I  can  see 
how  a  second  room  can  be  made  useful  in  several 
ways." 

Thus  was  the  bewildering  committee  whirled 
into  existence  ;  the  chairman  thereof  being  still 


"0/2,  What  a  Mce  Thought  T'        303 

so  dumbfounded  with  his  position  that  he  did  not 
rouse  until  the  laughing  boys,  by  whom  he  was 
surrounded,  began  to  take  in  some  of  the  fun 
of  the  situation,  and  to  assault  him  right  and 
left  with  mock  congratulations,  ill-suppressed 
groans,  hisses,  and  the  like.  Then  he  turned 
towards  them  with  new-born  dignity  that  would 
have  fitted  Dirk  Colson,  and  said  :  — 

"If  you  fellows  don't  shut  up,  and  behave 
yourselves  something  like  decent  for  the  rest 
of  the  time,  I'll  chaw  half  a  dozen  of  you  into 
mincemeat  as  soon  as  we  are  out  of  this !  " 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

HAD  HIS  EXPERIMENT  BEEN  TOO  SEVERE?" 

f]R.  EVERETT  was  driving  rapidly 
through  the  city ;  at  least,  as  rapidly 
as  the  crowded  character  of  the  street 
would  permit.  He  was  out  on  profes- 
sional duty,  and  had  just  been  congratulating 
himself  that  his  regular  calls  were  now  made 
for  the  day,  and  unless  something  special  inter- 
vened he  should  have  a  couple  of  hours  free  for 
the  alleys. 

That  meant  professional  duty,  too,  and  of  the 
very  hardest  character,  one  would  suppose,  as  it 
brought  him  in  contact  not  only  with  sickness 
in  some  of  its  most  repulsive  forms,  but  with 
abject  poverty  as  well,  and  too  often  with 
loathsome  forms  of  sin  ;  yet  he  went  about  this 
work  with  a  zest  that  his  regular  practice  did 
not  furnish.  This  was  something  done  solely 
for  Jesus'  sake,  and  with  an  eye  that  was  mani- 
festly single  to  His  glory. 

304 


"//ac?  His  Experiment  been  too  Severe?"  305 

He  hud  already  selected  his  alley,  and  was 
planning  how,  when  his  horses  were  safely 
stal)led,  he  could  make  a  cross-cut  to  it,  when 
his  eyes  were  held  by  two  persons  who  were 
ascending  together  the  stairway  that  led  to  one 
of  the  public  halls.  His  face  darkened  as-  he 
watched  them.  Apparently  they  were  engrossed 
with  each  other,  and  took  no  notice  of  him ; 
but  there  were  reasons  why  he  specially  desired 
to  keep  them  in  view.  A  network  of  carriages 
and  wagons  such  as  is  common  to  crowded 
thoroughfares  blocked  his  path  just  then,  and 
prolonged  his  opportunity  to  watch  the  two. 

They  made  their  way  in  a  very  leisurely 
manner  up  the  long  staircase,  letting  others, 
more  in  haste,  pass  them  continually  ;  yet  pres- 
ently they  joined  the  group  who  were  passing 
up  tickets  of  entrance. 

The  doctor  signalled  a  policeman,  and  entered 
into  conversation  :  — 

"  What  is  going  on  in  Seltzer  Hall  ?  " 

"  "Well,  sir,  there 's  a  kind  of  a  concert,  I 
guess.  They  play  on  goblets,  they  say  — 
just  common  glass  goblets  —  and  make  tin« 
music." 


806  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking r 

"An  afternoon  entertainment?" 

"Yes,  sir,  as  a  kind  of  introduction,  you 
know ;  they  expect  to  get  a  crowd  for  evening 
by  tlie  means.'' 

"Do  you  know  where  tickets  are  to  be  had?' 

The  policeman  indicated  a  bookstore  at  his 
left  b}-^  a  gesture  from  his  thumb,  and  said, 
"Kiglit  here,"  and  offered  to  secure  some  at 
once.  He  knew  Dr.  Everett ;  many  of  the 
policemen  did. 

His  offer  was  accepted  with  thanks,  and  the 
doctor  presently  wound  his  Avay  out  from  the 
network  with  two  green  tickets  in  his  pocket. 
His  plans  for  the  afternoon  had  been  suddenly 
changed.  Instead  of  spending  the  time  in 
Sewell  alley,  he  had  decided  to  attend  a  musical 
exhibition,  the  instruments  being  goblets  ! 

He  must  make  all  speed  now,  so  he  left  the 
crowded  street  and  dodged  through  several  by- 
ways to  the  stables. 

No  use  to  keep  his  horses.  "  She  would  be 
afraid  to  drive  through  such  crowds,"  he  ex- 
plained to  himself,  "and  I  should  be  afraid  to 
leave  the  carriage  standing." 

Rushing  out  fiT)m  the  stables  he  caught  just 


^^Had  His  Experiment  been  too  Severe?"  307 

the  ri<::ht  street-car,  and  in  a  short  space  of 
time  was  rino^ins:  at  Mr.  Roberts'  door. 

Grucie  Dennis  was  in  the  hall,  dressed  for  the 
street. 

"Ah,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  am  either  fortunate 
or  unfortunate,  I  wonder  Avhicli?  I  had  set  my 
heart  on  having  you  for  a  companion  to  what  I 
fancy  may  be  a  unique  entertainment.  Is  there 
another  engagement  in  the  way  ?  I  know  this 
is  a  most  unconventional  method,  but  a  doctor 
is  never  sure  of  his  time." 

But  Gracie  Dennis  felt  too  well  acquainted 
wdth  Dr.  Everett,  and  was  too  young  and  ready 
for  enjoyment  to  be  disturbed  about  convention- 
ality. She  merrily  declared  her  willingness  to 
be  taken  to  whatever  entertainment  the  doctor 
had  to  propose.  ^Irs.  Eoberts  was  out  with 
her  husband  on  business  connected  with  church 
matters,  and  she  had  only  intended  to  walk  a 
square  or  two  for  her  health. 

On  the  way  the  doctor  was  distrait,  Gracie 
havintr  most  of  the  talkini;  to  do  herself.  The 
truth  was,  he  was  trying  to  recall  the  faces  of 
the  people  he  had  seen  crowding  into  the  hall, 
t9  make  sure  that  he  was   not  taking  Gracie 


308  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'" 

among  people  whom  he  would  not  care  to  have 
her  meet.  Apparently  the  couple  whose  move- 
ments had  changed  all  his  afternoon  plans  were 
not  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  respectability. 
However,  his  face  cleared  as  he  recalled  one 
and  another,  as  being  in  the  crowd  seeking 
admission ;  they  might  not  be  of  the  class  with 
whom  Gracie  was  accustomed  to  mingle,  but 
they  were  respectable  people. 

Gracie  was  in  a  merry  mood.  She  under- 
stood enough  of  the  doctor's  busy  life  to  feel 
sure  that  this  sudden  resolve  to  be  enter- 
tained was  quite  out  of  his  ordinary  line,  and 
that  of  itself  served  to  mark  the  hour  as  ex- 
ceptional. 

"He  feels  the  need  of  a  little  every-day  fun," 
she  told  herself,  "  and  I  '11  help  him  to  have  it 
if  I  can.  Poor  man  !  it  must  be  doleful  to  go 
among  sick  and  dying  people  all  the  time." 

They  were  late  at  the  hall ;  the  concert  was 
well  under  way ;  but  there  were  plenty  of" 
vacant  seats.  Dr.  Everett  swept  his  eye  over 
the  ro/)m ;  then  indicated  to  the  usher  just 
w^iich  seat  he  would  have.  It  was  one  which 
commanded   a   view   of  the   young   man    and 


*'Had  His  Experiment -been  too  Severe  V  309 

■woman  who  seemed  to  have  such  a  mysterious 
influence  over  his  plans. 

He  was  relieved  to  find  quite  early  in  the 
entertainment  that  it  really  was  unique,  and,  in 
its  way,  well  worth  hearing.  Had  the  surround- 
ings been  agreeable  he  could  easily  have  given 
himself  up  to  enjoyment.  However,  they  had 
been  seated  but  a  few  moments,  when  he  saw 
by  Grade's  startled  eyes  that  she  had  seen  and 
recognized  at  least  one  of  the  couple  at  their 
left.  Professor  Ellis,  in  his  usual  faultless 
attire,  lounged  orracefullv  on  the  seat  in  such  a 
manner  that  his  side-face  was  distinct ;  he  rested 
a  well-shaped  arm  on  the  back  of  the  seat  next 
him,  and  his  delicately-gloved  hand  almost,  if 
not  quite,  touched  the  shoulder  of  his  com- 
panion. 

■  Both  he  and  the  lady  at  his  side  gave  ex- 
tremely little  attention  to  the  entertainment  in 
progress.  Apparently  they  had  come  thither 
for  purposes  of  conversation.  They  kept  up 
a  continuous  murmur  of  talk,  interspersed 
at  intervals  with  rippling  laughter,  and  really'- 
seemed  so  entirely  absorbed  in  each  other 
as   to   haVe    at   times    forgotten   that   the   hall 


310  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

was  public,  and  that  the  attention  of  many  was 
being  turned  toward  them.  The  girl  was  pretty, 
extremely  so,  with  an  entirely  different  style  of 
beauty  from  Gracie  Dennis;  and  a  certain  inde- 
scribable something  in  her  face  and  manner 
would  have  told  even  the  most  casuel  observer 
that  she  moved  in  a  different  circle.  It  was  not 
her  dress,  unless  that  was  a  little  too  pro- 
nounced for  the  place  and  hour ;  but  quite  young 
ladies  in  good  society  sometimes  make  a  similar 
mistake. 

Neither  was  her  manner  objectionable  to  the 
degree  that  you  could  have  pointed  to  any  one 
thing  as  offensive ;  yet  you  Avould  have  been 
sure,  had  you  watched  her,  that  she  was  with- 
out the  pale  of  what  we  call  societ3^ 

Gracie  Dennis  watched  her  with  a  kind  of  fas- 
cination ;  —  becoming  at  last  so  absorbed  with 
the  watching,  and  the  apparently  troubled 
thoughts  which  grew  out  of  it,  that  she  gave  but 
slight  attention  to  Dr.  Everett's  occasional  re- 
marks, nor  seemed  to  observe  that  at  last  he 
lapsed  into  total  silence. 

Once,  during  the  hour,  the  young  woman 
glanced  casually  in  their  direction,  and  the  care- 


^'^Had  His  Experiment  been  too  Severe?  "  311 

less  nod,  and  free  nnd  easy  smile  with  which 
she  acknowledged  Dr.  Everett's  presence,  drew 
a  startled  glance  from  Oracle  to  rest  on  him  for 
a  moment. 

"Now  I  wish  I  had  my  horses,"  the  doctor 
said,  as  at  last  they  made  their  way  down  the 
aisle.  "  I  have  a  mile's  drive  up  town  to  take, 
and  I  think  the  exercise  might  be  good  for 
you." 

Gracie  cauofht  at  the  susrsfestion,  and  beofsfed 
to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  bookstore  below 
while  he  went  for  the  horses. 

"  I  want  a  ride,  and  I  want  to  talk  with  \o\x,'' 
she  said,  simply. 

As  this  was  precisely  what  he  wanted,  he 
went  for  the  horses  without  more  delay. 

Meantime,  Gracie,  in  one  of  the  windows  of 
the  bookstore,  was  supposed  to  be  employed  in 
examining  a  late  book,  but  in  reality  gave  much 
attention  to  the  couple  who  were  crossing  the 
street,  or  rather  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to 
do  so. 

They  seemed  in  no  haste,  but  were  conspicu- 
ous, even  in  the  crowded  street,  for  their  inter- 
est in  each  other.     More  than  one  policeman 


312  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

regarded  them  narrowly,  as  Professor  Ellis 
stood  with  head  bent  toward  the  lady,  engaged 
in  eager  and  animated  conversation.  It  was  just 
the  attitude  of  absorbed  interest  with  wdiich  he 
had  so  often  listened  to  Gracie ;  not  on  the 
street,  it  is  true,  but  in  some  crowded  parlor, 
and  it  had  flattered  her.  It  made  her  frown 
to-day.  They  were  starting  now  to  make  the  dis- 
agreeable crossing.  He  had  taken  his  compan- 
ion's hand,  preparatory  to  a  leap  over  a  muddy 
curbing ;  but  Gracie  could  see  that  there  was  a 
pressure  of  it  that  was  unnecessary,  and,  for  the 
street,  peculiar ;  his  face,  too,  was  distinctly 
visible,  and  the  expression  on  it  was  what 
Gracie  had  seen  before,  but  certainly  she  sup- 
posed no  other  person  had. 

Altogether  it  was  probably  well  for  Professor 
Ellis'  peace  of  mind  that  he  did  not  turn  at  that 
moment,  and  get  a  glimpse  of  the  young  lady 
in  the  bookstore.  Instead  he  took  his  lady 
away,  and  they  were  lost  in  the  crowd. 

Dr.  Everett,  making  all  haste  with  his  horses, 
had  still  time  for  anxious  thought.  Had  his  ex- 
periment been  too  severe  on  Gracie?  Was  it 
possible  that  her  interest  in  the  man  was  such 


*'Had  His  Experiment  been  too  Severe?''  313 

that  the  afternoon's  experience  had  been  mixed 
Avith  pain  as  well  as  with  disgust?  He  could 
not  believe  it  possible  that  the  pure-hearted 
younor  "rii'l  cared  for  such  a  man  as  Professor 
Ellis  1  Yet  there  had  been  a  look  on  her  face 
when  she  saw  those  two  which  startled  and  hurt 
him. 

When  fairly  seated  in  his  carriage  he  did  not 
speak  until  they  had  threaded  the  maze  of 
wagons  and  reached  clear  o-round.  Even  then 
he  only  said,  "  Now  for  speed,"  and  gave  the 
horses  their  desire,  until  crowds  and  business 
were  left  behind,  and  they  were  driving  down  a 
broad  avenue,  lined  on  either  side  with  stately 
yet  quiet-looking  homes.  Then  he  drew  rein, 
and  obliged  the  horses  to  walk ;  he  had  by  this 
time  resolved  on  probing  the  wound,  if  there 
w'as  one. 

"I  wish  I  knew  just  how  much  of  a  villain 
that  man  is."  These  were  the  somewhat  start- 
ling words  which  broke  his  silence. 

"  What  man  ? "  Yet  the  very  tones  of 
Gracie's  voice  indicated  that  she  knew  of  whom 
he  was  speaking. 

"  That  man,  Ellis  !   Professor,  I  think   he  is 


314  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

called.  I  have  reason  to  be  very  suspicious  of 
him.  By  the  way,  Miss  Gracie,  I  think  he  is 
an  acquaintance  of  yours.  Have  you  confidence 
in  him  ?  " 

How  promptly  and  indignantly  such  a  ques- 
tion would  have  received  an  affirmative  answer 
two  months  before !  What  should  she  say 
now  ? 

"In  what  respect?"  she  faltered,  more  for 
the  purpose  of  gaining  time  than  because  she 
did  not  understand  the  question. 

"  Well,  in  any  respect  I  am  almost  pre- 
pared to  say.  I  have  not  the  honor  of  the  man's 
acquaintance  ;  but  whatever  I  hear  about  him,  or 
see  in  him,  I  dislike  and  distrust.  Just  at  pres- 
ent his  ways  are  specially  disturbing.  You 
noticed  him  this  afternoon,  I  think !  The 
3'oung  girl  in  his  company  belongs  to  ray  Sab- 
bath-school. I  have  a  deep  interest  in  her, 
partly  because  she  is  the  sort  of  girl  who  is 
always  more  or  less  in  danger  in  this  wicked 
world,  and  partly  because  she  is  capable  of 
strongly  influencing  another,  who  is  a  special 
jproteg^  of  mine." 

"  W^ho    is   the   girl  ? "    Gracie's  manner  was 


"ZTac?  His  Experiment  been  too  Severe?^^  315. 

abrupt,  and  her  voice  constrained.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  she  was  making  great  effort  to  control 
herself,  and  appear  indifferent  to  all  parties. 

The  doctor  took  no  notice  of  her  constraint. 

"  Her  name  is  Mason,  Hester  Mason.  She 
attends  the  Packard  Place  Sabbath-school, 
which  you  know  I  superintend.  She  is  mother- 
less, and  worse  than  fatherless ;  is  a  clerk 
in  one  of  the  Fourth  Avenue  stores,  and  is,  or 
was,  inclined  to  be  what  is  called  gay.  I  do 
not  know  that  that  term  conveys  any  special 
meaning  to  you  ;  in  young  men  I  think  they  call 
the  same  line  of  conduct  ''  fast."  I  hope  and 
believe  that  you  would  not  well  understand 
either  term  ;  yet,  I  think,  possibly,  that  watch- 
ing her  this  afternoon  in  a  public  hall  will  give 
you  some  conception  of  the  stretch  that  there  is 
between  yourself  and  her." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

"SOME  PEOPLE  ARE  HARD  TO  W^VRN." 

AD  Dr.  Everett  desired  in  a  few  words 
to  show  Gracie  the  gulf  between  her- 
self and  the  man  who  had  been  the 
girl's  companion  for  the  afternoon, 
perhaps  he  could  not  have  formed  his  sentence 
better. 

She  shivered  visibly,  and  the  doctor  drew  the 
carriage-wraps  more  carefully  about  her,  while 
he  continued  :  — 

"  I  would  not  want  to  srive  you  a  wrong  esti- 
mate  of  Hester  Mason,  nor  lead  you  to  imagine 
for  a  moment  that  I  believe  a  girl  who  serves  be- 
hind a  counter  cannot  be  a  true  lady.  I  wanted, 
j-ather,  to  explain  to  you  that  her  opportunities 
had  been  limited.  She  means  to  be  a  good  girl, 
I  think ;  in  fact,  I  may  say  I  have  the  'limost 
conjfidence  in  her  intentions.  She  is  not  a  Chris- 
tian, but  a  few  weeks  ago  I  had  her  name  on 
316 


^^ Some  People  are  hard  to  Waim."      317 

my  note-book  as  one  who  was  almost  persuaded. 
She  has  been  fighting  the  question  of  personal 
rcb'gion  for  some  time,  —  her  special  stumbling- 
block  being  that  she  is  quick-Avitted,  and  has 
quite  a  clear  idea  of  how  Christians  ought  to 
live,  and  can  find  very  few  who  seem  to  her  to 
be  living  what  they  profess.  However,  as  I 
say,  I  have  been  very  hopeful  of  her  until  within 
a  few  weeks,  when  she  came  in  contact  with 
this  man,  and  I  tremble  for  the  result.  He  is 
constant  in  his  attentions,  and  she  is  evidently 
flattered  and  dazed." 

"  How  long  has  he  known  her?  How  did  he 
become  acquainted?"  Abrupt  questions  still, 
asked  in  that  curiously  repressed  voice. 

The  doctor's  face  was  growing  very  grave  and 
stern.  He  feared  that  there  was  a  real  wound 
here. 

"Inadvertently,  Miss  Dennis,  it  seems  that 
both  you  and  I  are  to  blame,  or,  at  least,  are 
involved  in  the  acquaintance.  Do  you  remem- 
ber a  little  incident  which  occurred  in  a  street- 
car some  six  weeks  ago?  A  young  woman,  in 
leaving  the  car,  dropped  a  package,  which  you 
noticing,  called  our   attention  to,  and  pointed 


318  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

out  the  person  crossing  the  street,  and  Professor 
Ellis  announced  his  willingness  to  overtake  her 
and  return  the  package,  as  he  was  about  to 
leave  the  car.  Miss  Mason  was  the  person  in 
question,  and  Professor  Ellis  presumed  on  that 
very  slight  introduction  to  cultivate  an  acquaint- 
ance. I  have  learned  that  he  quoted  my  name 
in  connection  with  the  incident,  and  since  that 
da}^  has  been  on  terms  of  exceeding  intimacy 
with  Hester." 

Gracie  was  surprised  out  of  her  reserve. 

"  I  remember  the  incident  perfectly  ;  but  the 
girl  I  saw  this  afternoon  cannot  be  the  one  who 
was  on  the  car." 

"Yes;  she  was  in  holiday  attire  to-day,  and 
in  her  working  garb  when  you  saw  her  moment- 
arily on  the  car.  I  remember  a  feeling  of 
rejrret  that  Professor  Ellis  should  have  so 
promptly  volunteered  to  do  your  errand  ;  yet  I 
did  not  know  what  I  dreaded.  I  sim})ly  shrank 
from  the  man,  and  wanted  others  to  do  so." 

"  Dr.  Everett,  what  is  his  motive  in  showing 
her  attention  ?  " 

"  I  wish  I  knew.  I  can  tell  you  what  I  greatly 
fear :  That  it  is  to  play  with  the  human  heart ; 


"A^bwie  People  are  hard  to  Warn."      319 

to  see  to  what  extent  he  can  gain  power  over 
it.  And  in  this  case  certainly  it  is  a  most 
cruel  thing.  The  girl  has  no  friends,  no  father 
or  mother  to  advise  with  or  help  her.  She  is 
bright  and  pretty,  and  is  being  shoAvn  glimpses 
of  a  world  that  seems  to  her  like  fairyland.  She 
is  dazzled,  and  one  cannot  blame  her,  for  she 
has  neither  carefully-formed  judgment  nor  trust- 
worthy friends  to  lean  upon.  Miss  Dennis,  you 
can  judge  from  her  manner  this  afternoon  what 
is  her  knowledge  of  the  customs  of  polite  soci- 
ety. I  do  not  think  she  has  an  idea  that  she 
was  conspicuous,  save  for  her  beauty  and  the 
fine  appearance  of  her  attendant.  She  is  not 
one  to  shrink  from  what  she  would  consider 
legitimate  public  admiration,  and  this  you  can 
see  but  adds  to  her  dansjer." 

"But,  Dr.  Everett,  you  do  not  think, — you 
cannot  mean  that  he  intends  to  pay  her  special 
attention;  that  he  means  anything  beyond  the 
desire  to  give  her  a  little  pleasure  ?  " 

"  "Well,"  said  the  doctor,  speaking  slowly,  but 
with  firmness,  "you  may  judge.  Miss  JDennis, 
■what  I  think,  —  what  any  honorable  person 
thinks,  —  of  a  man  who  bestows  in  public  the 


320  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking ^ 

sort  of  attentions  wliicli  Ave  saw  this  afternoon. 
You  would  have  been  insulted  by  them.  The 
onl}^  reason  that  this  poor  girl  was  not,  is  be- 
cause she  does  not  know  any  better. 

"  Did  you  observe  the  flashins:  of  a  peculiarly 
set  ring  on  her  finger?  I  have  reason  to  fear 
that  it  belongs  to  him,  and  that  she  believes  her- 
self specially  honored  in  being  asked  to  wear 
it." 

Poor  Gracie's  cheeks  were  tlaming  now.  She 
had  not  observed  the  ring,  but  she  knew  it  well, 
and  for  one  brief  evening  had  worn  it  herself, 
and  then  had  returned  it  to  the  owner  with  the 
assurance  that  she  could  not  bring  herself  to 
wear  it  without  her  father's  consent.  She  re- 
membered what  a  wound  she  had  felt  herself 
bestowins:  when  he  had  looked  at  her  with  those 
expressive,  reproachful  eyes,  and  replied  that  if 
she  felt  toward  him  as  he  did  to  her,  she  would 
not  allow  even  a  father  to  come  between  them. 
And  he  had  actually  given  that  ring  into  the 
keeping  of  this  girl ! 

They  rode  on  in  silence,  the  doctor  giving  a 
hint  to  the  horses  that  they  might  go  as  fast  as 
they  chose.     He  was  in  great  doubt  and  pain  of 


"So?ne  People  are  hard  to  Warn."      321 

heart.  Could  it  be  possible  that  this  carefully- 
shielded  young  girl  Avas  caught  in  the  toils  of  a 
man  whom  he  believed  to  be  an  unprincipled 
villain  ? 

If  so,  had  he  been  unnecessarily  cruel  in. his 
revelations?  Ought  he  to  take  her  home,  or 
drive  further,  and  give  her  time  to  recover  her- 
self? 

Could  he  have  understood  what  was  passing 
in  her  mind  he  would  have  known  better  w^hat 
next  to  say.  The  simple  truth  was  this  :  Before 
she  came  to  Mrs.  Roberts' the  child  had  believed 
herself  to  be  a  martyr  to  the  unreasonable  pre- 
judices of  her  stepmother.  She  had  been  led 
to  feel  that  her  father  had  turned  against  her, 
solely  because  of  his  wife's  influence  over  him, 
and  that  the  wife  was  piqued  because  Professor 
Ellis  had  not  paid  her  sufficient  attention  in  the 
days  of  her  maidenhood.  This,  the  professor 
had  succeeded  in  teaching  Gracie  to  feel,  was 
the  sole  charge  against  him.  He  was,  there- 
fore, an  ill-used  man,  and  therefore  her  heart 
w^ent  out  towards  him  in  sympathy. 

It  had  not  been  at  first  a  stronger  feeling  than 
this ;  but  flattered  by  his  attentions,  so  much 


322  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking." 

more  marked  and  polished  than  had  ever  been 
offered  to  the  young  girl  before,  she  bad  taught 
herself  to  believe  that,  but  for  her  father's  bit- 
terness, she  could  be  to  Professor  Ellis  what  he 
delicately  and  vaguely  assured  her  no  one  else 
could,  and  till  a  place  that  hitherto  in  his  lonely 
life  hud  been  left  void.  She  had  not  engaged 
herself  to  him  ;  indeed,  he  had  never,  in  actual 
words,  asked  her  to  do  so  ;  but  to  the  young 
and  innocent  and  well-trained  there  is  a  lan- 
guage which  speaks  as  clearly  as  words,  and  is 
held  as  sacred. 

Grade  had  allowed  herself  to  be  looked  upon 
as  one  who  was  held  by  others  from  being 
more  to  Professor  Ellis  than  she  was;  who 
might  always,  perhaps,  be  held  back,  — for  she 
had  resolved  in  her  own  sad  heart  that  she 
would  never  marry  against  her  father's  consent, 
no,  not  if  she  were  twice  of  age. 

Of  late,  strange  revelations  had  come  to  her. 
She  had  measured  Professor  Ellis  with  other 
men.  Christian  men,  and  he  had  appeared  at  a 
disadvantage.  Also  she  had  measured  herself 
by  the  side  of  other  Christian  workers,  and  her- 
self had  appeared  at  a  disadvantage.     A  vague 


"^ Some  People  are  hard  to  Warn.'''      323 

unrest  and  dissatisfaction  with  her  Christian 
experience  were  growing  on  her.  ^Moreover, 
she  was  growing  interested  in  those  boys,  as 
she  had  not  believed  that  it  would  he  possible 
for  her  to  be  interested  when  she  first  saw 
them.  She  began  to  believe  that  some  of  them, 
at  least,  would  be  saved.  She  wanted  to  help 
save  them,  and  to  help  others.  Her  martyrdom 
dwindled  rapidly  into  insignificance,  until  there 
would  pass  entire  days  in  which  she  did  not 
once  remember  that  she  Avas  an  unhappy  girl. 

At  last,  but  a  week  or  two  before  this  after- 
noon, she  had  taken  her  affairs  in  hand,  and 
tried  to  look  steadily  at  them.  The  result  of 
her  hours  of  thought  and  prayer  was  that  she 
was  bound  to  Professor  Ellis.  That  is,  provided 
there  should  come  a  time  in  the  dim  and  distant 
future  when  her  father  should  give  his  consent, 
it  would  be  her  duty  and  her  pleasure,  because 
of  what  had  passed  between  them,  to  marry  him. 
Still,  she  began  to  feel  less  amazed  at  her 
father's  opinion  of  him,  less  angry  about  it. 
She  began  to  say  to  herself,  softly  and  pitifully  : 
**  Poor,  lonely  man !  he  has  no  one  to  be  his 
friend.     He  is  not  a  Christian,  and  that  is  what 


324  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaJdn(/." 

makes  so  great  a  difference  between  him  and 
others.  It  is  that  which  papa  misses,  but  I 
must  not  desert  him ;  I  must  pray  for  him  all 
the  time,  and  work  for  his  conversion  ;  then  he 
will  grow  to  be  the  sort  of  man  whom  papa  can 
like,  and  everything  will  be  right."  And 
while  she  said  it,  she  was  dimly  conscious  of  a 
feeling  of  satisfaction  over  the  thought  that  she 
was  very  young,  and  that  it  Avould  be  a  long, 
long  time  yet  before  anything  could  be  settled  ; 
and  that,  meantime,  it  certainly  was  not  right 
for  her  to  have  anything  to  do  with  Professor 
Ellis,  only  to  pray  for  him  ;  and  that  perhaps 
her  father  would  allow  her  to  carry  out  a  project 
that  was  under  delightful  discussion  in  the 
Roberts  family,  namely,  to  remain  in  the  city  as 
a  pupil  in  the  famous  Green  Lawn  School. 
And  she  did  not  know,  foolish  little  thing,  that 
so  far  even  as  her  heart  was  concerned  every- 
thins:  was  wronsf. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  explain 
to  3'ou — that  is,  if  3^ou  do  not  understand 
without  explanation  —  what  a  turmoil  she  was 
thrown  into  by  this  afternoon's  experience.  She 
was  far   from  realizing  as  yet  that  the  upper- 


"Some  People  are  hard  to  Warn.''      325 

most  feeling  even  now  was  not  wounded  love, 
but  Avounded  pride  ;  of  what  poor  stuif  she  had 
been  making  a  hero  !  Nothing  had  ever  opened 
her  eyes  like  this  before.  Was  it  possible  that 
she  had  spent  entire  evenings  with  a  man  who 
stooped  to  set  in  unpleasant,  even  suspicious 
light,  not  his  own  character  only,  but  that  of  an 
ignorant  young  girl  ? 

It  would  not  do  to  plead  a  lack  of  knowledge 
in  excuse  for  him  ;  he  might  be  ignorant  of  the 
ways  of  the  Christian  world,  but  no  one  under- 
stood better  the  rules  which  governed  society. 
During  part  of  the  afternoon  she  had  been  very 
angry  with  the  girl,  but  after  listening  to  Dr. 
Everett  it  began  to  dawn  upon  her  that  her 
friend  had  been  playing  with  the  ignorance  of  a 
girl  who  probably  trusted  him  fully.  You  are 
to  understand  that  Gracie  Dennis  w^as  the  sort 
of  girl  who  would  be  made  very  angry  by 
such  a  suspicion.  The  glow  on  her  cheeks 
was  not  all  caused  by  the  fresh  air  of  the  spring 
day. 

"  Dr.  Everett,"  she  said  at  last,  breaking  the 
silence,  "  what  do  you  think  he  means  by  ask- 
ing the  girl  to  wear  that  ring,  or  by  letting  her 


326  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

wear  it?  Does  he  —  do  you  suppose  that  he 
has  enoraofcd  himself  to  her?" 

"  I  wish  I  knew  what  he  meant !  "  Dr.  Everett 
said  again,  a  surge  of  indignation  rushing  over 
him.  "  If  he  really  meant  anything  so  honorable 
as  that,  it  would  be  bad  enough  business  for 
poor  Hester ;  but,  as  I  said,  I  distrust  the  man 
utterly ;  and  from  my  experience  with  the 
world  I  have  reason.  From  your  knowledge  of 
him.  Miss  Dennis,  could  you  suppose  him  to  be 
honest  and  earnest  in  his  attentions  to  that 
girl?" 

It  was  a  very  plain  question.  It  meant  more 
to  Dr.  Everett  than  even  Gracie  saw,  but  she 
saw  enough  to  know  that  she  was  admitting  an 
intimacy  that  made  her  blush ;  however,  she 
answered  steadily,  — 

"  No,  I  cannot  think  that  he  is  honest  or 
honorable." 

"  So  I  fear.  "Witness  this  afternoon.  Gentle- 
men do  not  parade  their  friendships  before  the 
public  gaze,  and  that  man  knows  it." 

The  doctor's  voice  was  very  stern.  He  was 
sure  now  that  there  was  a  wound,  and  that  it 
was    being   probed ;    he    believed    in    making 


''Some  People  are  hard  to  Warn.''       327 

thorough  work,  even  with  wounds ;  there 
would  be  more  hope  of  genuine  heah'ng  after- 
ward. 

GiTicie's  next  question  —  if  her  companion 
had  but  known  it  —  was  a  singular  one  :  "  Why 
have  not  people  who  are  her  friends  warned  her 
aofainst  him,  and  held  her  back  from  makin": 
such  a  false  step,  if  she  does  it  in  ignorance?" 

Oh,  Gracie  Dennis !  How  are  warnings 
sometimes  received,  even  by  carefully-trained 
girls,  who  have  every  reason  to  trust  the  love 
that  would  shield  them  ? 

"Some  people  are  very  hard  to  warn,"  said 
the  doctor.  "I  have  tried  it,  and  I  have  a 
friend  who  has  tried  to  help  her ;  but  the  poor 
girl,  you  must  remember,  has  not  been  brought 
up  in  a  Christian  atmosphere  —  has  never  had  a 
Christian  friend  who  came  with  the  authority  of 
relationship.  If  she  had  a  good  father  the  wa}" 
would  be  made  so  plain.  As  it  is,  can't  you 
see  how  naturally  she  distrusts  the  rest  of  us,  in 
favor  of  the  man  who  makes  special  professions 
of  friendship?  I  am  not  surprised  at  Hester,  I 
am  only  sorry  for  her." 

Had  the  doctor  been  carefully  informed  as  to 


328  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking."* 

all  the  circumstances  connected  with  Grade's 
intiraac}'  with  the  professor,  ho  could  not  have 
chosen  words  which  would  have  touched  her 
conscience  more.  Had  not  her  good  father 
tenderly  and  patiently  warned  her  ?  and  had  she 
not  chosen  to  blind  her  eyes  to  all  his  words, 
and  believe  rather  in  Professor  Ellis  than  in 
him? 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"PART  OF  THE  GREAT  WELL-TO-DO  WORLD." 

MUST  call  at  this  house,"  the  doctor 
said,  suddenly  drawing  rein  before  a 
quiet  little  house  at  the  foot  of  a  wide 
lawn.  "  The  gatekeeper  of  this 
American  castle  has  a  sick  child  Avhom  I  have 
promised  to  see.  Can  you  hold  the  horses. 
Miss  Dennis,  or  shall  I  tie  them?  This  is  a 
quiet  spot',  and  they  are  gentle." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  anything,"  Gracie  said, 
eyes  aglow  as  Avell  as  cheeks.  And  the  doctor 
went  into  the  house  wondering  whether  Profes- 
sor Ellis,  if  he  could  see  her  now,  would  not  be 
afraid  of  her. 

Once  inside  he  gave  a  start  of  surprise,  almost 
of  dismay,  for  the  face  which  appeared  at  the 
open  door  of  the  sick-room  belonged  to  Joy 
Saunders. 

"You  here?  "  he  said,  trying  to  control  the 
disturbed  element  in  his  voice. 

329 


330  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking r 

She  answered  quietly  :  — 

"  I  came  out  by  street-car.    Did  you  drive  ?  " 

"Yes,"  he  said,  abruptly,  "but  I  am  not 
alone.  How  is  the  child  ?  "  and  he  went  forward 
at  once  to  his  professional  duties,  leaving  her  to 
wonder  over  his  manner. 

It  was  peculiar,  certainlj'.  Joy  Saunders  was 
used  to  abruptness  from  this  man,  but  there  was 
a  quality  in  it  to-day  that  she  did  not  recognize. 
She  went  and  looked  out  of  the  window,  and 
saw  Gracie  Dennis  holding  the  horses,  saw  her 
red,  red  cheeks,  and  flashing  eyes,  and  the 
peculiar,  haughty  poise  of  her  head,  with  Avhich 
the  stepmother  at  home  was  well  acquainted. 

She  did  not  know  this  Gracie  Dennis  save  by 
reputation.  Once  Dr.  Everett  had  asked  her 
to  call  at  Mrs.  Roberts',  and  had  made  her  feel 
as  though  she  were  foolishly  conventional  in  de- 
clining to  do  so.  "How  is  she  ever  to  know 
you,  according  to  the  rules  which  trammel  so- 
ciety ?  There  ought  to  be  some  way  arranged 
for  Christians  to  be  free  from  trammels."  This 
had  been  his  comment ;  but  he  had  not  asked 
her  again,  and  she  had  never  met  Mrs.  Roberts, 
nor  yet  Gracie  Dennis.     Yet  she  knew  her  very 


""Part  of  the  Great  Well-to-do  World:'     33 1 

well,  and  had  watched  her  often  as  she  passed. 
She  knew  instantly  who  she  was  now,  as  she  sat 
there  in  her  haughty  beauty,  checking  with 
determined  hand  the  impatience  of  those  horses. 
Oh,  she  knew  more  than  this  !  It  was  very 
apparent  now  why  Dr.  Everett  was  peculiarly 
abrupt,  and  —  well,  yes  —  embarrassed.  She 
had  almost  thought  that  was  the  name  of  the 
feeling,  only  it  had  seemed  so  absurd.  And 
then  Joy  Saunders  held  her  meek  little  head 
hijrh,  and  told  herself  that  he  need  not  fear  her 
presence ;  she  could  go  as  she  had  come,  in  the 
street-car. 

The  doctor  came  towards  her  now,  speaking 
rapidly,  as  usual :  — 

"  Joy,  the  child  is  ver}'^  sick.  There  ought 
to  be  an  experienced  person  here  to-night.  Not 
you  ;  I  am  sorry  you  came  up.  Do  you  think 
your  mother  would  come?  Will  you  ride  down 
with  me?  I  have  Miss  Dennis  in  the  carriage, 
but  it  is  quite  large  enough  for  three,  you  know." 

Then  Joy  had  turned  away  her  head,  holding 
it  high,  and  said  :  — 

"Xo,  thank  you;  I  am  going  down  in  the 
street-car." 


332  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

And  tbat  blundering  doctor  drew  on  liis 
gloves,  saying  to  himself,  "  I  don't  know  but 
that  is  best,"  and  went  out,  only  waiting  to  say 
to  Joy :  — 

"  Will  you  ask  your  mother  about  it  ?  I  will 
see  her  as  soon  as  I  can  get  around.  I  wish 
you  would  go  directly  home  from  here  —  will 
you?" 

Then  he  lifted  his  hat  to  her,  and  sprang  into 
his  carriage  and  rode  away  with  Grade  Dennis  ; 
and  Joy  Saunders  waited  for  the  next  yellow 
car,  and  climbed  into  it,  and  told  Iierself  all 
the  way  down  town  that  she  wished  she  had 
stayed  at  the  little  house  and  watched  all  night 
by  the  sick  child. 

The  thoughts  that  Dr.  Everett  had  given  to 
the  entire  matter  were  few.  They  ran  some- 
what after  this  fashion  :  — 

"  Joy  here  !  and  I  'm  afraid  of  the  fever,  from 
all  I  have  heard.  I  shall  take  her  home  as  soon 
as  possible.  How  will  that  poor  little  girl  in 
the  carriage  manage  with  a  new  acquaintance 
iust  now,  I  wonder  ? 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  quite  a  strain.  .Still, 
I  can  do  the  talking,  and  let  her  be  quiet.     The 


''Part  of  the  Great  Well-to-do  World:'    333 

niiiin  point  is  that  I  Iioped  she  might  have  a 
suirafestion  to  make  about  Hester.  If  she  could 
rouse  herself  to  try  to  save  that  girl  it  would  be 
the  best  thing  she  could  do.  If  she  only  knew 
it,  Joy  is  the  one  who  could  help  her  in  that 
direction  or  any  other." 

As  they  dashed  down  the  avenue,  he  was  still 
occupied  in  w^ishing  that  he  had  urged  J03'  to 
ride,  and  thus  forced  an  acquaintance  between 
her  and  the  pretty  girl  at  his  side.  He 
was  not  very  patient  with  what  he  called  the 
"trammels"  of  society.  When  there  were 
two  people  so  fitted  to  enjoy  and  help  one 
another,  as  were  Joy  Saunders  and  Gracie 
Dennis,  he  held  it  to  be  a  waste  in  Christian 
economy  that  they  should  not  know  each  other. 

Too  much  occupied  with  his  thoughts  and  his 
driving  to  give  heed  to  passers-by,  he  lost  the 
careful  bow  thj^t  young  Hied  had  for  them  as 
i\\ey  drew  near  the  city's  whirl  again.  Gracie 
did  not ;  she  returned  it,  w-ith  a  slightly-height- 
ened color  in  her  cheeks,  and  wondered  if  that 
young  man  knew  Professor  Ellis,  and  what  he 
thought  of  him,  and  what  he  thought  of  her  for 
being  acquainted  with  him. 


334  EMev  liied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

Sometimes  it  seems  to  me  ji  rejil  pitj'  that  on 
occasion  there  could  not  be  some  way  of  looking 
into  one  another's  thoughts.  So  many  mis- 
understandings might  thus  be  saved.  For  in- 
stance, there  was  Ried,  who  went  on  his  way 
with  a  clouded  brow.  Where  had  Dr.  Everett 
been?  and  why  wiis  Gracie  Dennis  with  him? 
"Was  it  probable  that  hje  had  been  riding  for 
pleasure?  The  bare  suggestion  astonished  the 
young  man.  He  found  that  he  had  never  before 
given  room  to  the  thought  that  Dr.  Everett 
took  time  for  pleasure  !  Allowing  this  to  be 
the  case,  why  had  he  not  taken  Joy  Saunders 
with  him?  Such  a  proceeding  w-ould  have 
seemed  altogether  natural,  though  the  honest- 
hearted  young  fellow  admitted  to  himself  that, 
had  he  been  taking  a  ride  for  pleasure,  the  com- 
panion of  his  choice  would  not  have  been  Joy 
Saunders.  It  was  certainly,  a  bewildering 
world.  So  trying  did  young  Ried  find  his 
thoughts  on  that  evening  that  he  actually  set 
himself  deliberately  to  learn  whether  the  ride 
was  the  result  of  chance  or  design.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  he  learned  not  only  of  the  ride, 
but  of  the    afternoon  entertainment  at  Seltzer 


''Part  of  the  Great  Well-to-do  World r     335 

Hall,  with  glass  goblets  for  instruments.  Tliis 
increased  his  astonishment,  and  did  not  lessen 
the  gloom  on  his  face. 

But  the  two  in  the  carriage,  unconscious  of 
the  gloomy  young  man,  or  of  the  sad-hearted 
young  girl  riding  in  a  street-car,  were  almost 
silent  during  the  homeward  ride,  until  just  as 
they  turned  into  the  avenue  that  led  to  Mr. 
Roberts'  door.     Then  Grace  said  ; — 

"  Dr.  Everett,  I  should  like  to  know  that  girl. 
There  are  some  things  that  I  ought  to  say  to  her, 
and  if  I  had  a  chance  I  would  try  to  say  them 
in  a  way.  to  help  her." 

"I  will  manage  it,"  said  Dr.  Everett,  speak- 
ing in  a  quick,  relieved  tone.  He  felt  encour- 
aged for  Hester  now,  and  greatly  relieved  about 
Gracie.  She  might  be  wounded,  but  she  was 
made  of  the  material  of  which  he  had  hoped. 
She  was  not  going  to  die  herself,  nor  fold  her 
bauds  and  see  others  ruined,  merely  because  she 
had  been  deceived. 

He  bade  her  a  cheery  "  Good  afternoon  ! "  and 
drove  away,  feeling  that,  although  he  had  been 
obliged  to  give  up  Sewell  Alley,  good  work  had 
been  accomplished.  He  believed  now  that  he 
understood  the  situation. 


336  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  S_peakiRg." 

He  was  right  about  one  thing  :  Gracie  Dennis 
bad  not  the  slightest  idea  of  dying.  Her  mood 
was  better  expressed,  half  an  hour  later,  when 
she  stood  at  the  parlor  window,  and  returned  a 
low,  lingering  bow  from  Professor  Ellis,  with  a 
haughty  stare  from  flashing  eyes,  looking  out 
from  an  erect  and  motionless  head. 

Dirk  Colson's  brain  was  in  a  whirl.  He  had 
an  important  question  to  settle.  In  his  pocket 
Avere  two  blue  tickets,  promising  to  admit  him 
to  the  largest  and  finest  hall  in  the  city  to  hear 
the  great  temperance  orator.  Dirk  knew  very 
little  about  orators,  but  he  had  heard  of  John  B. 
Gough,  and  everything  he  had  heard  made  him 
wish  to  have  a  glimpse  of  him.  You  will  re- 
member that  Dirk  was  an  imitator.  He  had 
heard  that  Mr.  Gough  was  also,  and  down  deep 
in  his  heart  the  boy  had  an  ambition  to  hear  the 
man.  Now  was  his  unexpected  opportunity. 
Of  course,  he  was  going,  but  the  perplexing 
thing  was,  what  to  do  with  that  other  ticket. 

There  was  Mart?  Oh,  yes,  to  be  sure,  he 
had  not  forgotten  her ;  but  what  a  strange  thing 
it  would  be  to  take  her  to  a  lecture  !     He  had 


''Part  of  the  Great  Well-to-do  World."     337 

never  taken  her  anywhere  in  his  life.  She  had 
nothing  to  wear,  though  he  remembered  at  that 
moment  that  the  mother  had,  by  earnest  effort, 
succeeded  in  getting  her  shawl  out  of  pawn. 

There  was  one  incentive  for  taking  her ;  it 
would  please  Mrs.  Eoberts.  Dirk  studied  the 
thing  for  some  time,  to  try  to  discover  why  she 
should  care,  and  had  finally  given  up  the  problem 
as  too  great  for  him.  Yet  he  was  sure  she 
cared  ;  there  had  t)een  a  wistful  light  in  her  eyes 
when  she  said,  ''  I  thought  possibly  you  might 
like  to  take  that  sister  with  the  golden  hair," 
that  he  saw  and  interpreted.  It  took  him  three 
days  to  decide  w^hat  he  should  say,  supposing  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  ask  her. 

Several  people  were  at  work  helping  him, 
though  he  knew  nothing:  about  that.  Mrs. 
Roberts  remarked  one  evening  to  young  Ried 
that  she  wished  she  knew  a  way  to  induce  Dirk 
Colson  to  take  his  sister,  without  actually  ask- 
ing him  to  do  so.  She  fancied  that,  besides  the 
advantage  which  might  possibly  directly  follow 
an  evening  spent  in  that  w^ay,  it  would  suggest 
new  thoughts  to  the  brother. 

The  young  man  caught  at  the  suggestion,  and 


338  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

■wanted  to  help  carry  it  out.  It  was  not  an  easy 
thins:  to  do.  He  had  not  "jrown  intimate  with 
Dirk  Colsou ;  in  fact,  that  misguided  young 
fellow  rather  resented  any  attempt  at  intimacy. 
He  was,  however,  acquainted  with  Sallie  Cal- 
kins ;  the  numerous  trips  he  had  made  to  their 
room  during*  Mark's  illness  had  brought  him 
into  such  constant  and  pleasant  contact  with 
Sallie  and  her  Ijrother  that  they  looked  upon 
him  as  a  tried  friend.  Sallie,  he  knew,  was  a 
friend  of  the  shy,  golden-haired  sister.  So  one 
evcninsr  he  went  to  call  at  the  Calkins  room, 
with  a  vague  hope  of  helping  indirectly  in  bring- 
ing to  pass  Mrs.  Roberts'  desires. 

To  Sallie  he  made  known  the  wish  that  Dirk 
would  take  his  sister  to  the  lecture,  and  secured 
from  her  a  promise  to  help  the  scheme  along, 
provided  it  developed. 

After  he  went  a^vay,  Sallie  sat  long  at  her 
sewing,  making  all  alone,  by  a  dim  light,  one  of 
the  most  heroic  little  sacrifices  that  was  ever 
offered  "  in  His  name."  To  fully  understand  it, 
you  must  know  that  Mark  Calkins  had  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  take  his  place  in  the  office 
where  Dr.  Everett  had  secured  him  an  opening, 


''Part  of  the  Great  Well-to-do  World."     339 

and  an  employment  that  would  enable  him  to  sit, 
most  of  the  time,  thereby  giving  his  injured 
limb  a  chance  to  rest.  Also,  Mark  had  been 
admitted  to  the  JVIonday  evening  gatherings,  and 
M-as  distinguishing  himself  there  by  his  skill  in 
rending  and  wxiting.  Of  course,  he  had  re- 
ceived two  tickets,  and  equally  of  course,  being 
the  boy  he  was,  he  had  planned  to  take  Sallie  with 
him  to  the  lecture.  Great  was  Sallie's  prospect- 
ive pleasure  !  The  event  of  her  lifetime  it  was 
to  be.  To  walk  with  Mark  through  the  crowded 
streets,  both  neatly  dressed ;  to  walk  boldly 
forward  with  the  throng,  and  present  their 
tickets  of  admittance  to  the  great  hall ;  hitherto 
seen  only  from  the  outside  ;  to  move  down  the 
long  aisles  as  those  who  had  a  right,  and  select 
their  seats  unquestioned  by  police ;  in  short,  to 
be  like  other  jjeople — part  of  the  great  well-to- 
do  >vorId,  — this  was  Sallie's  joy  ! 

She  had  washed  and  mended  her  best  calico 
dress  ;  she  had  sewed  buttons  on  the  pretty  cape, 
according  to  Mrs.  Roberts'  directions ;  she  had 
tried  on  the  neat  bonnet  which  had  been  manu- 
factured for  her  by  Mrs.  Roberts'  own  fingers, 
and,  altogether,  Sallie  had  probably  gotten,  dur- 


340  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speaking:' 

ing  these  two  days,  more  enjoyment  out  of 
Gough's  lecture  than  many  others,  who  had 
heard  him  a  dozen  times,  eter  secured.  I  do 
not  think  it  any  wonder  that,  as  she  rocked  and 
sewed,  and  thought  out  her  great  thought,  there 
fell  tears  on  the  work  she  was  doinsr. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

'FOR  YOU  DON'T  KNOW  WHAT  MAY  COME." 

HIS  was  the  thought :  Suppose  Dirk 
Colson  should  want  to  take  his  sister. 
Sallie  did  not  believe  it  in  the  least 
proba})le  ;  she  had  not  that  amount  of 
faith  in  Dirk  Colson ;  but  suppose  he  should, 
Mart  could  not  go,  for  the  reason  that  she  would 
have  nothing  to  wear. 

And  here  was  Sallie's  pretty  cape,  which 
would  cover  the  worst  of  her  dress,  and  her 
pretty  bonnet,  which  she  knew  Avould  make  a 
picture  of  Mart ;  but  if  she  lent  them  it  meant 
staying  at  home  to  Sallie.  Could  she  do  it? 
Could  she  bear  to  think  of  such  a  thins:?  What 
Avould  ]Mark  say?  What  would  he  do  with  his 
other  ticket  ? 

Would  she  be  likely  ever  to  have  another 
chance  to  go  to  that  wonderful  hall,  and  be  like 
other  folks? 

341 


342  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speaking:' 

But  Mart  had  never  been  anywhere  in  her 
life. 

"  And  I,"  said  poor  Sallie,  catching  her  breath 
with  a  sob,  "  have  been  often  for  a  Avalk  on  the 
brightest  streets,  and  looked  in  at  the  shop  win- 
dows, and  everything.  I  'most  know  I  will 
help  her  to  go  if  I  can." 

Young  Ried  had  no  conception  of  the  sacrifice 
for  which  he  had  asked. 

It  is  little  wonder,  surely,  that  Sallie's  voice 
faltered  that  same  evening,  as  she  explained  to 
jNIart,  who  had  slipped  in  for  a  bit  of  talk, 
that  if  ever  she  wanted  to  go  anywdiere  very 
bad,  she  was  to  let  Sallie  know,  and  she  should 
have  her  cape  and  bonnet  to  wear.  Then  she 
had  anxiously  planned  for  her  a  Avay  to  mend 
her  dress,  so  that  it  would  look  quite  well  under 
the  cape,  and  she  had  even  urged  :  — 

"Now^  do.  Mart,  if  anybody  should  want  you 
to  go  don't  say  you  won't ;  but  take  your 
chance,  for  you  don't  know^  what  may  come." 

Also  she  bore  with  patience  Mart's  scornful 
laugh,  and  emphatic  statement  that  no  chances 
ever  came  to  her,  and  nobody  ever  wanted  her 
to  go  anywhere.     As  she  talked  she  gi'ew^  inter- 


^^For  you  don't  hnoiv  what  may  come.'''    343 

ested  and  eloquent ;  urged  earnestly  thtit  JNlart 
should  embrace  the  first  opportunity  to  go 
somewhere,  and  wear  her  new  cape  and  l)onnet. 
At  the  same  time  she  was  silent  about  the  lec- 
ture. Suppose  no  chance  should  come  ?  Then 
it  would  be  doubly  hard  to  Mart  to  have  \v\(\ 
the  possibility  suggested.  The  san:e  delicate 
reasoning  had  held  her  from  dwelling  on  her 
own  prospects.  Some  people  would  have  been 
very  much  astonished  over  the  amount  of  deli- 
cate consideration  for  the  feelings  of  others 
w'hich  could  be  found  in  that  little  room. 

Dirk  loitered  strangely  over  his  meagre  din- 
ner the  next  afternoon.  It  was  late,  for  he  had 
secured  a  position  at  last  in  one  of  the  printing 
offices,  and  was  apt  to  take  his  meals  at  any 
hour  when  it  happened  to  be  convenient  to  do 
Avithout  him  at  the  office.  He  had  only  been 
three  days  at  work,  and  Mart  had  taken  little 
notice  of  the  new  departure,  except  to  remark 
grimly  that  it  Avould  not  last ;  but  to  Sallie  she 
had  boasted  that  Dirk  had  gone  to  work  as  hard 
as  anybody.  If  somebody  could  only  have  told 
Dirk  that  his  sister  ever  boasted  of  him  it  might 
have  helped  him  much  during  these  days. 


344  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Speaking r 

'■  What  are  yon  hanging  around  for?  You've 
got  all  there  will  1)e  to  eat  in  this  house  to-day, 
and  it  is  time  yon  were  off."  This  was  the  un- 
gracious manner  in  which  the  sister  took  note 
of  his  lingering.  She  was  painfully  afraid  that 
Jie  had  already  grown  weary  of  regular  employ- 
ment, and  the  fear  made  her  voice  gruffer  than 
usual. 

His  reply  amazed  her ;  in  fact,  it  amazed  him- 
self:— 

"Mart,  I've  got  tickets  to  a  show,  — a  nice 
place,  —  and  I  w-ant  you  to  go  along." 

"  Humph !  "  said  Mart,  "  that  is  a  likely 
story  ! " 

Then  he  grew  earnest,  dis})layed  his  treasures, 
and  urged  her  acceptance  —  quite  astonished 
with  himself  the  w^hile.  Did  he  really  want 
her  to  go,  he  wondered,  or  did  he  want  to  please 
Mrs.  Roberts? 

You  would  have  been  interested,  an  hour  later, 
to  have  seen  Mart  skip  up  the  rickety  stairs 
leading  to  the  Calkins  abode.  You  would 
probably  have  thought  that  she  endangered 
life  or  limb  by  her  rapid  movements ;  but  Mai-t 
was  used  to  such  staircases,  and  the  news  she 
had  to  communicate  required  haste. 


''For-  you  don't  know  what  may  come  J"     345 

"  There  's  a  chance  !  "  she  said,  breathless 
with  speed  and  eagerness ;  "  Sallie  Calkins, 
there  's  a  chance,  and  you'd  never  guess  how. 
Dirk  he  wants  me  to  go  to  a  show  with  hira 
this  very  night !  He  's  got  tickets.  It  is  a  big 
show,  where  all  the  grand  folks  go.  It  is  in 
the  very  biggest  hall  in  this  city,  and  Dirk  he 
says  I  am  to  go.  Sallie  Calkins,  do  you  mean 
it,  truly,  that  I  am  to  wear  your  lovely  new 
bonnet  and  cape  ?  Do  you  suppose  I  can  really 
go  anywhere  ?  I  don't  know  why  Dirk  wants 
me  to  so  bad,  but  he  coaxed  and  coaxed." 

Poor  Sallie  !  She  stooped  quickly  to  pick  up 
a  pin  from  the  floor,  so  that  Mart  might  not  get 
a  glimpse  of  her  eyes  with  the  sudden  tears  in 
them.  Yet,  as  she  stooped,  she  made  her  final, 
grand  sacrifice  —  Mart  should  go  ! 

Then  she  entered  with  entire  abandon  into 
the  preparations.  Not  only  her  bonnet  and 
cape,  but  her  shoes  — new  ones  that  Mark  had 
bought  her  with  his  first  earnings  after  his  ill- 
ness —  were  to  attend  the  lecture. 

She  rejoiced  over  the  excellent  fit  of  the  shoes. 
She  did  more  than  this.  As  Mart  watched  the 
piDcess  of  buttoning  them,  and  remarked  com- 


346  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking ^ 

placentl}'  that  she  shouldn't  wonder  if  Dirk 
would  l)uy  her  a  pair  some  day,  when  he  earned 
money  enough,  she  kept  her  lip  from  curling 
with  an  incredulous  sneer.  You  will  remember 
that  she  had  not  the  slightest  faith  in  Dirk. 

Neither  must  I  forget  that  there  was  another 
thing  to  lend  —  her  comb,  in  order  that  Mart's 
Avonderful  yellow  hair  might  be  for  once  reduced 
to  something  like  order.  And  at  the  risk  of 
leading  you  to  think  that  Sallie  was  altogether 
too  "  {esthetic  "  for  her  position  in  life,  I  shall 
have  to  confess  that  this  was  her  hardest  bit  of 
sacrifice  ;  her  comb  was  so  new  and  so  pretty  ! 

However,  it  did  its  duty  on  Mart's  tawny 
locks,  and  the  transforming  effect  was  marvel- 
lous. In  fact,  when  all  was  ready,  the  cape 
adjusted,  the  hat  which  Mrs.  Roberts  had  shown 
her  how  to  wear  set  on  the  yellow  head,  Sallie 
said  not  a  word,  but  went  to  the  packing-box  in 
the  corner  which  served  as  a  treasure  cupboard, 
and  drew  forth  the  one  possession  about  which 
she  had  been  utterly  silent  —  a  little  hand-glass 
which  Mark  had  brought  her  one  winter  even- 
ing just  before  he  was  hurt.  A  cheap,  little, 
ugly  glass,  which  you  would  have  turned  from 


^'For  you  don't  know  what  may  coined     347 

in  disgust,  saying  that  it  made  your  nose  awry, 
and  your  chin  protrude  and  your  ej'es  squint, 
and  was  altogether  horrid ;  but,  held  before 
Mart's  glowing  face,  what  a  secret  did  it  reveal ! 
Mart  looked,  and  was  silent,  too;  and  went 
home  in  a  hushed  frame  of  mind  to  wait  for 
Dirk.  Home  was  deserted.  The  mother  had 
dragged  her  wearied  body  out  for  a  day  of 
"■  light "  work.  The  time  had  gone  by  when 
she  was  able  to  do  any  that  people  called  heavy. 
Where  the  father  was,  none  of  the  family  knew, 
and  their  chief  hope  concerning  him  was  that 
he  would  stay  away  as  long  as  possible. 

I  find  myself  longing  to  give  you  an  idea  of 
what  that  elegant,  brilliantly  lighted  hall,  with 
its  brilliant  audience,  was  to  this  girl,  and  being 
unable  to  do  it. 

When  people  live  so  far  below  us  that  our 
every-day  experiences  are  to  them  like  a  day  at 
the  World's  Fair,  it  is  very  hard  indeed  to 
describe  how  our  special  treats  affect  them. 

It  is  a  treat  to  everybody  to  hear  Gough. 
How  then  can  I  tell  you  what  it  was  to  this  girl 
and  her  brother  ?  Dirk  listened  ;  he  must  have 
listened  w^ell,  for  long  afterward  he  was  able  to 


348  Ester  Bled  "  Yet  Speaking r 

repeat  entire  paragraphs,  and  to  imitate  the 
manner  of  the  great  orator  with  remarkable 
skill ; — yet  at  the  time  he  Avould  have  seemed  to 
a  close  watcher  to  have  been  absorbed  in  another 
way.  He  looked  at  INIart  somewhat  as  he  had 
on  that  Sabbath  when  his  acquaintance  with 
!Mrs.  Roberts  began.  But  the  thought  which 
had  dimly  haunted  him  that  day  blossomed  on 
this  evening.  Certainly  Mart  looked  like  Mrs. 
Roberts !  It  might  be  folly  to  think  so ; 
doubtless  the  fellows  would  make  no  end  of  fun 
of  him  if  he  should  ever  tell  them  so,  which  he 
meant  to  take  excellent  care  not  to  do  ;  but  the 
fact  remained,  that  in  Sallie's  bonnet  and  cape, 
and,  above  all,  with  the  Avaves  of  hair  floating 
about  her,  there  was  a  look  which  instantly  and 
strongly  reminded  him  of  that  lady. 

There  was  another  listener  at  the  lecture  who 
was  unexpectedly  present.  Part  of  poor  Sallie's 
trial  had  been  to  tell  her  brother,  who  had  been 
radiant  for  a  week  over  the  prospect  of  taking 
her,  that  she  had  with  her  own  hand  put  away 
the  blessing.  How  would  Mark  take  it  ?  Dirk's 
forlorn-looking  sister  was  no  favorite  of  his.  I 
think  it  would  have  been  very  diflicult  to  have 


"jFor  you  don't  know  what  may  come,'''     349 

convinced  him  that  there  was  a  trace  of  ]Mrs. 
Ivoberts  in  her  face. 

But  such  curious  creatures  are  we  that  it 
actually  hurt  Sallie  to  see  how  quietly  he  took 
the  great  sad  news  of  her  sacrifice.  After  the 
first  start  of  surprise,  he  seemed  preoccupied, 
and  she  could  almost  have  thought  that  he  did 
not  hear  her  explanation.  She  had  much  ado  to 
keep  back  the  tears,  but  she  had  made  a  special 
little  feast  for  him  that  evening,  with  a  white 
cloth  on  the  table,  and  a  cup  of  actual  tea,  and 
the  cup  set  in  a  saucer.  She  was  not  going  to 
spoil  the  scene  with  tears ;  so  after  a  little  she 
said,  cheerily :  — 

"  Now  you  have  a  chance  to  do  something  nice 
for  somebody.  Who  will  you  take  on  your 
ticket?" 

"I  was  thinking,"  he  answered,  slowly.  "You 
know  it  is  a  temperance  lecture,  and  it  is  by  a 
wonderful  man.  The  felloVvs  in  the  shop  have 
been  talking  about  him  all  day,  and  they  say 
you  just  can't  help  thhiking  when  he  gets 
agoing ;  and  I  was  just  thinking,  What  if  we 
could  get  Jiim  to  go,  and  he  would  listen,  and 
get  to  thinking." 


350  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking  J* 

There  are  no  italics  that  will  give  you  an  idea 
of  the  peculiar  emphasis  which  the  boy  put  on 
the  pronouns.  Sallie  understood ;  that  "  he  " 
could  mean  but  one  person  in  the  world.  But 
her  brother  must  have  answered  the  look  on  her 
face,  for  she  spoke  no  word. 

"  Sometimes  they  do,  Sallie.  There  was  old 
Pete,  you  know." 

Oh,  yes,  Sallie  knew  old  Pete ;  everj'body  in 
that  alley  knew  him  ;  a  notorious  drunkard  once, 
of  the  sort  which  people,  even  good  Christian 
people,  are  apt  to  pronounce  hopeless ;  yet  now 
he  wore  a  neat  suit  of  clothes  every  day,  and 
brought  home  twenty  pounds  of  flour  at  one 
time  in  a  sack,  and  bought  his  coal  by  the  barrel. 
Wonderful  things  occasionally  happened  in  that 
alley. 

"  Yes,"  said  Sally,  "  that  is  true ;  and  old 
Pete  was  n't  much  like  him." 

The  tone  spoke'  volumes.  It  would  have 
almost  angered  her,  even  now,  to  have^  had  it 
hinted  that  old  Pete  was  superior  to  that  father, 
though  hardly  a  person  acquainted  with  the 
two  but  would  have  said  that  there  Avas  more 
hope  for  old  Pete,  even  in  his  miserable  past, 
than  for  this  one. 


^^For  you  donH  know  what  may  come.''*     351 

How  they  managed  it,  those  two  :  the  difficult 
task  of  getting  him  persuaded  to  go,  and  then 
the  more  difficult  task  of  keeping  him  sufficiently 
sober  to  get  there,  would  make  a  story  in  itself. 
I  fancy  there  are  many  such  stories  in  real  life 
which  will  never  get  told.  The  probabilities  are, 
if  they  were,  some  wise  critic  would  pronounce 
them  unnatural  and  sensational. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  task  was  accom- 
plished, and  among  the  most  attentive  listeners 
to  the  great  speaker  that  evening  was  Sallie's 
father,  while  she  sat  at  home  and  mended  a 
badly  torn  jacket,  and  cried  now  and  then,  and 
was  glad  and  sorry  and  proud  and  frightened 
and  hopeful  by  turns  all  that  long  evening. 

I  am  not  sure  but  it  Avas  better  for  her  that 
she  sat  at  home.  I  don't  know  just  what  she 
might  have  done  had  she  been  in  the  hall  to  see 
hei-  father,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  shamble 
forward  with  the  crowd,  and  sign  his  name  to 
the  total  abstinence  pledge. 

She  might  have  screamed  out  in  her  excite- 
ment, or  she  might  have  fainted ;  for  although 
there  were  those  who  said  —  some  with  a  sneer, 
and  some  with  a  sigh  —  that "  signing  the  pledge 


352  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speakina.*' 

would  not  amount  to  anything ;  the  miserable 
fellow  could  not  keep  a  pledge  to  save  his  life  !  " 
Sally  would  have  thought  nothing  of  the  kind. 
She  had  faith  in  her  father's  word. 

It  is  a  wonderful  stimulus  to  have  some  one 
who  believes  in  us. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"WHAT  DO  YOU    HOPE    TO    ACCOMPLISH?' 


If 
2^ 


?10  you  know,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts,  ad- 
dressing Grade  Dennis,  who,  with 
young  Ried,  had  waited  in  the  hall 
for  her  to  join  them  (they  were  ready 
for  the  lecture,  and  were  to  take  up  Mr.  Rob- 
erts on  the  way)  :  "Do  you  know  that  I  have  a 
desire  which  I  see  no  way  of  realizing  ?  If  Mr. 
Colson  should  brini?  his  sister  with  him  to-nigrht 
I  should  like  so  much  to  get  possession  of  her 
and  bring  her  home  with  me  !  But  I  have  been 
planning  all  day,  and  see  no  possible  excuse  for 
such  an  apparently  wild  proceeding." 

I  want  you  to  notice  how  naturally  Mrs. 
Roberts  said  "  Mr.  Colson " ;  she  never  talked 
about  Dirk  under  any  other  name ;  she  even 
taught  herself  to  think  of  him  as  "  Mr.  Colson." 
Consequently,  when  she  spoke  the  name  in  his 
presence,  there  was  not  a  trace  of  unnaturalness 
in  tone  or  manner.     The  others  tried  in  vain  to 

353 


354  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking  " 

follow  hor  example.  Dr.  Everett  could  not 
speak  of  him  in  this  way  without  slight  hesita- 
tion and  a  touch  of  embarrassment.  "  The 
truth  is,"  said  he,  "  I  think  Dirk  all  the  week, 
and  on  the  Sabbath  I  find  it  impossible  to  reach 
up  to  'Mr.  Colson '  without  an  effort."  There 
was  no  touch  of  "  reaching  up  "  or  reaching  down, 
about  Mrs.  Roberts'  talk  with  her  pupils.  It  is 
possible  that  this  is  one  link  in  the  chain  of 
influence  which  she  was  weaving  around  them. 

Gracie  Dennis'  face  expressed  curiosity,  and 
when  they  were  seated  in  the  carriage,  she  re- 
ferred to  the  cause  :  — 

"  But  Flossy,  I  cannot  imagine  why  you 
should  want  to  do  such  a  thing.  It  will  cer- 
tainly be  too  late  to-night  to  try  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  her.  I  should  think  some  time 
when  you  could  have  an  unbroken  evening 
would  be  the  better  for  experimenting." 

"  For  some  sorts  of  experimenting  it  would," 
Mrs.  Roberts  answered,  smiling  quietly ;  "  my 
experiment,  in  part  at  least,  was  to  see  how  the 
pink  room  might  impress  her." 

"  Flossy  Shipley  ! " 

When  Gracie  took  refuse  in  that  name  her 


"  W7iat  do  you  liojie  to  accompUsJt?  "    355 

hostess  knew  she  was  not  only  much  excited,  but 
a  trifle  disapproving ;  at  such  times  she  made 
haste  to  change  the  subject. 

It  happened  that  the  thing  for  which  she  had 
been  phmning,  shaped  itself  so  naturally  as  to 
give  not  the  slightest  color  or  premeditation  to 
the  act. 

When  Dirk  and  his  sister  worked  their  way 
through  the  dense  crowds  to  the  open  air  they 
discovered  that  it  was  raining  heavily.  For 
almost  the  first  time  in  her  life  the  fact  struck 
terror  to  Mart  Colson's  soul !  Ordinarily  no 
duck  could  have  been  more  indifferent  to  a  rain 
storm  than  herself.  On  this  evening:  she  ffave 
vent  to  her  dismay  in  short,  expressive  words  : 

"  Sallie's  bonnet !  "  "  And  cape  !  "  This  last, 
after  a  moment's  thought.  "  And  shoes  !"  she 
added,  as  the  magnitude  of  her  troubles,  o-rew 
upon  her. 

Drawn  up  close  to  the  sidewalk  stood  a  car- 
riage and  a  pair  of  horses  that  Dirk  could  not 
help  giving  admiring  attention  to,  despite  the 
rain.  A  fine  horse  alwaj's  held, his  attention. 
No  thought  of  the  occupants  of  the  carriage 
came  to  him,  not  even  after  a  head  leaned  for- 


ooG  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speaking:'' 

ward  and  a  hand  beckoned ;  of  course  it  was 
beckoning  to  somebody  else.  Then  a  clear 
voice  spoke  :  — 

"  Mr.  Colson  !  " 

He  started  quickly  forward ;  there  was  but 
one  person  who  ever  said  "  Mr.  Colson,"  and 
besides,  that  voice  belonged  only  to  one. 

"I  want  your  sister  to  go  home  with  me.  It 
is  raining  so  hard  that  she  ought  not  to  walk, 
and  I  should  like  very  much  to  have  her  stay 
with  me  to-night.  Won't  you  ask  her  to, 
please  ?  " 

If  Mrs.  Roberts  had  been  asking  a  favor, 
instead  of  conferring  one,  her  voice  could  not 
have  been  sweeter  and  more  winning. 

Dirk  went  back  to  his  sister,  too  much  be- 
wildered by  the  state  of  affairs  even  to  express 
surprise.     "  Mart,"  he  said,  "  she  wants  you." 

A  quick  spring  to  the  sidewalk,  and  young 
Ried  was  standing  beside  Mart.  "  It  is  raining 
so  hard,"  he  explained,  "Mrs.  Roberts  would  be 
very  glad  if  you  would  come." 

And  Mart,  thinking  of  nothing  at  all,  save 
Sallie's  bonnet  and  cape  and  shoes,  turned  to- 
ward the  waitinpT  carriao^e. 


"  What  do  you  hope  to  accomplish  ?  "     357 

Mr.  liied  had  his  umbrella  raised,  and  care- 
fully shielded  the  bonnet,  assisting  its  wearer  to 
enter  the  carriage  with  as  much  courtesy  as  he 
had  bestowed  on  Gracie  Dennis  but  a  few  mo- 
ments before.  Not  a  movement  was  lost  on 
the  watching  Dirk. 

When  the  door  was  closed  and  the  good- 
nights  had  been  said, — Mrs.  Roberts  leaning 
from  the  carriage  again  for  that  purpose,  — and 
when  the  horses  had  dashed  around  the  corner, 
he  still  occupied  his  position  on  the  curbstone, 
gazing  down  tlie  street,  gazing  at  nothing 
unless  he  saw  a  reflection  of  his  own  bewil- 
dered thoughts. 

"  Come  ! "  said  a  policeman  who  knew  him, 
and  was  therefore  suspicious,  "  What  are  you 
hano^ins:  a])out  here  for?     Move  on  !  " 

"  Humph  !  "  said  Dirk,  as  he  slowly  took  his 
hands  out  of  his  pockets,  eyes  still  fixed  on  the 
corner  where  the  carriage  had  turned,  "  what  if 
I  should?" 

Something  in  his  eye  would  have  told  Mrs. 
Roberts,  had  she  been  there,  that  he  meant  more 
than  moving  down  the  street ;  though  that  he 
presently  did,  regardless  of  wind  and  rain. 


358  Ester  Ried '' Yet  Speaking r 

Meantime  the  bonnet  and  cape  in  the  carriage 
stepped  somewliat  into  the  background,  and  the 
girl  who  wore  them  allowed  herself  once  more 
to  think  of  her  individuality,  and  to  wonder  at 
her  position.  She  sat  holt  upright  on  the  edge 
of  the  soft,  gray  seat,  and  gazed  about  her  as 
well  as  she  could  by  the  glimmer  of  the  street 
lamps.  She  in  a  carriage !  Mart  Colson  sit- 
ting on  a  back  seat,  beside  a  grand  lady,  and 
roUinsr  down  the  avenue !-  Who  v/ould  have 
supposed  that  such  a  thing  could  have  hap- 
pened to  Sallie  Calkins'  bonnet?  IMrs.  Roberts 
recognized  the  bonnet  and  cape  with  a  smile  of 
satisfaction.  She  had  studied  much  over  the 
possibilities  of  this  girl's  costume.  Was  it  prob- 
able that  she  had  anything  suitable  to  wear  to 
a  lecture?  She  had  passed  the  cellar  where 
the  girl  lived  but  once,  and  had  had  but  one 
glimpse  of  her;  yet  these  glimpses  had  been 
enough  to  render  it  highly  improbable  that  she 
had  any  street  costume.  Then,  had  jNIrs.  Rob- 
erts canvassed  the  possibilities  of  getting  a 
street-suit  for  her,  there  were  apparently  insur- 
mountable difficulties  in  the  way.  She  Avas  too 
utterly  unacquainted  with  the  ground  to  venture. 


"  What  do  you  hope  to  accorftplish?^'     359 

Besides,  there  were  reasons  for  believing  that 
anything  of  value  would  find  its  way  from  that 
cellar  to  a  pawnbroker's  in  a  very  short  space 
of  time. 

Having  spent  hours  over  raan}^  different 
schemes,  and  rejected  each  one  as  liable  to  bring 
disaster,  Mrs.  Eoberts  was  obliged  to  betake 
herself  to  prayer.  If  the  watching  Saviour 
wanted  her  to  work  through  the  medium  of  tliis 
lecture  on  this  particular  child  of  His,  He  could 
certainly  see  that  she  was  present ;  could  fur- 
nish her  with  clothes  to  wear,  either  through 
herself  or  some  other  of  His  servants.  She 
would  wait  and  watch. 

Not  once  had  she  thought  of  Sallie  Calkins 
and  the  new  bonnet  that  her  own  fiuofers 
had  helped  to  fashion ;  yet  here  it  was  be- 
side her  on  the  head  of  this  girl,  toward  whom 
she  was  drawn !  The  fact  made  Mrs.  Roberts 
radiant. 

She  said  almost  nothing  to  the  startled 
prisoner  at  her  side,  beyond  a  murmured,  "  So 
glad  you  let  me  carry  you  home  with  me ! " 
Then  she  drew  a  bright-colored  wrap  about  her, 
and  left  her  to  her  amazement,  while  the  eager 


360  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:* 

tongues  of  the  rest  of  the  party  talked  con- 
tinuously. 

By  the  way,  you  are  not  acquainted  with  the 
pink  room,  I  think?  You  should  see  it  before 
it  is  invaded  for  the  night.  Large,  it  is.  I  think 
little  people  sometimes  have  a  peculiar  fondness 
for  large  rooms  ;  Mrs.  Robeils  had.  The  walls 
were  tinted  with  what  might  be  called  a  sugges- 
tion of  pink,  with  just  a  touch  of  sunset  gold 
about  the  mouldings. 

The  carpet  was  soft  and  rich ;  it  gave  back  no 
sound  of  footfall.  It  was  strewn  with  pink 
buds ;  some  just  opening  into  beauty,  some 
half-blown.  Accustomed  to  the  sight  of  elegant 
carpets  as  you  are,  you  would  almost  have 
stooped  to  pick  one  of  these  buds,  they  looked 
so  real.  The  curtains  to  the  windows  were 
white,  but  lined  with  rose  pink ;  they  were 
looped  back  with  knots  of  pink  ribbons.  The 
bed  was  a  marvel  of  pink  and  white  drapery ; 
so  was  the  dressing-bureau.  The  easy-chairs 
were  upholstered  in  soft  grays  with  a  pinkish 
tin<re ;  and  the  tidies,  lavishly  displayed,  were 
all  of  pink  and  white.  There  was  nothing  con- 
ventional about  the  room.    A  professional  would 


^'W/iat  do  you  Jiope  to  accomplish?''     3G1 

have  been  shocked  by  some  of  its  appointments. 
Many  a  lady  of  wealthy  accustomed  to  having 
things  as  "they"  decree,  would  have  been  more 
than  doubtful  over  the  pink  ribbons  and  the 
profusion  of  white  drapery.  Aside  from  the 
carpet,  and  a  choice  picture  or  two,  there  was 
nothing  especially  expensive  about  the  furnish- 
ings. It  was  simply  a  room  in  which  Mrs. 
Iiol)erts  had  allowed  her  own  sweet  little  fancies 
to  take  her  captive. 

The  gas  was  lighted  ;  the  door  was  ajar  into  a 
toilet-room ;  a  lavish  display  of  great,  beautiful 
towels  could  be  seen  as  you  peeped  in,  and 
various  touches  told  of  an  expected  guest. 
Flowers  were  blossoming  on  the  mantel,  and  a 
tiny  vase  which  stood  on  a  bracket  near  the 
toilet-stand  held  a  single  rose  of  a  peculiar 
hue  and  perfume,  which  had  blossomed  for 
this  hour.     At  least,  Mrs.  Roberts  thought  so. 

Into  this  room,  in  all  its  purity  and  beauty, 
went  Sallie  Calkins'  bonnet  and  cape  and  her 
strong,  new,  thick  shoes ;  and  the  wearer 
thereof  pushed  the  bonnet  away  from  her 
flushed  face,  and  stood  and  looked  about  her. 

Down  stairs  they  discussed  in  curious  tones  — 
not  her,  but  the  mistress  of  the  mansion. 


3G2  Ester  liied  ^'Yet  Speaking."' 

"  Flossy,  I  do  think  you  are  too  queer  for 
anything !  "Why  don't  you  liave  her  go  to 
Katy's  room  ?  Katy  is  away  for  the  night,  you 
know,  and  1  'm  sure  her  room  is  as  neat  and 
j)retty  as  can  be.  Imagine  what  a  contrast  it 
would  be  to  anvthins:  that  she  has  ever  seen  ! 
Mr.  Ried,  you  ought  to  see  the  room  into 
Avhich  she  has  been  put.  There  isn't  a  more 
elegant  one  in  the  house.  Some  of  its  furnish- 
ings are  so  delicate  that  I  hardly  like  to  touch 
them.  What  sort  of  a  disease  is  it  that  has 
taken  Mrs.  Roberts,  do  you  suppose,  to  send 
her  there  ?  Flossy,  she  will  get  no  rest  to-night ; 
she  will  be  afraid  of  that  immaculate  bed." 

This,  of  course,  was  Gracie  Dennis. 

Mr.  Roberts  looked  from  her  to  his  wMfe,  — 
his  face  smiling,  curious,  yet  with  a  sort  of  at- 
rest  expression. 

"  What  do  you  hope  to  accomplish.  Flossy?" 
He  asked  the  question  as  one  who  w^as  pleased 
to  watch  a  new  experiment,  yet  felt  sure  that 
the  experimenter  had  an  end  to  attain  which 
Avould  justify  any  measures  that  she  might  take. 
Mr.  Roberts  had  believed  in  his  wife  Avhcn  he 
chose  her  from  all  others ;  but  he  >vas  learning 


"  What  do  you  hope  to  accomjjUsh?"     363 

to  believe  in  her  in  a  peculiar  sense,  as  one  led 
by  a  hand  that  made  no  mistakes. 

She  turned  to  answer  his  question ;  her  face 
bright,  yet  half  puzzled  :  — 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  I  can  explain  to  you  what 
I  hoped  for,"  she  said  ;  "  1  caught  the  idea  from 
Mr.  Ried." 

"From  me  !"  and  the  young  man  thus  men- 
tipned  looked  so  astonished  and  incredulous 
that  Gracie  laughed. 

"  He  is  sure  he  never  thought  of  anything  so 
wild,"  she  said,  gayly.  "Flossy,  you  must  find 
a  better  excuse  than  that." 

"Yet  it  was  something  that  he  said.  Do  you 
remember  telling  me,  not  long  ago,  about  3'our 
sister's  idea  that  all  the  world  had  lost  its  place 
because  of  sin ;  that  God  intended  everything 
here  to  be  beautiful,  and  all  life  to  be  ])right 
with  joy,  and  that  Satan  had  gotten  hold  of 
men's  lives,  and  was  trying  to  ruin  them,  and 
that  every  beautiful  creation  was  God's  picture 
to  the  world  of  what  his  intention  had  been? 
I  'm  telling  it  poorly ;  but  it  made  a  very  deep 
impression.  This  girl's  face,  you  know,  is 
beautiful.      It  is  what  God  meant  some  faces  to 


364  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'* 

he  ;  at  least,  I  mean  he  has  given  her  the  frame 
for  a  face  of  beauty.  I  have  a  vaaue,  half- 
understood  sort  of  wish  to  give  her  a  glimpse  of 
harmony ;  something  that  Avill  fit  her  golden 
hair  and  lovely  complexion  ;  and  see  what  she 
■will  think  of  God's  idea,  and  whether  she  will 
understand  that  it  is  sin  which  has  spoiled  it, 
and  whether  she  is  willing  to  serve  the  author 
of  her  ruin.  I  don't  believe  I  am  making 
myself  plain,  but  I  know  Avhat  I  mean,  at 
least." 

.  "  If  we  do  not,  I  think  it  must  be  because  you 
have  caught  a  thought  from  God,  that  we  are 
not  able  to  reach  up  to." 

It  w\as  ]Mr.  Roberts  who  made  this  repl3^ 
Something  in  his  w-ife's  experiment  had  deeply 
moved  him. 

As  for  Mr.  Ried,  his  face  lighted,  as  it  always 
did,  at  the  mention  of  his  sister's  name. 

"Sometimes  I  almost  think  that  it  is  Ester 
still  at  work,  and  that  He  lets  her  work  through 
this  woman." 

It  was  what  he  said  to  Gracie  Dennis  in  an 
aside.  Mrs.  Roberts  had  already  gone  to  see  in 
person  to  the  comfort  of  her  guest. 


"iS3 

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■^' 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"•O  LORD,   TAKE  DIRK,   TOO!" 

HE  found  her  standing  before  the  mir- 
ror. By  reason  of  the  fact  that  she 
understood  no  pretty  trick  of  braid  or 
curl,  her  long  yellow  hair  hung  just 
as  Nature  had  made  it,  with  no  waves  or  ripples 
save  those  which  had  grown  with  its  growth. 
It  fell  about  her  now  like  a  sunset  cloud.  She 
had  taken  from  the  vase  near  at  hand  a  rose, 
■which  she  had  pushed  in  among  the  masses  of 
hair,  with  no  knowledge  as  to  how  it  should  be 
arranged,  or,  indeed,  thought;  yet  the  effect 
was  somethins:  which  made  Mrs.  Eoberts  g-ive 
an  involuntary  start  of  admiration. 

Still  it  was  evident  that,  though  apparently 
gazing  at  herself,  she  was  thinking  away  beyond 
herself.  It  is  doubtful  if  at  that  moment  she 
saw  the  flower,  or  her  own  reflection,  or  knew 
that  she  was  looking.     Her  eyes  had  the  far- 


366  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking." 

away  expression  which  one  sometimes  sees  in 
great  power  on  faces  like  hers.  She  turned  as 
Mrs.  Koberts,  having  softly  knocked  and  re- 
ceived no  answer,  softly  entered,  and  her  tirst 
words  indicated  the  intensity  of  her  thought, 
whatever  it  was  :  — 

''  Dirk  has  got  to  go  there  !  " 

"Go  where?"  asked  Mrs.  Roberts,  startled 
out  of  the  words  she  meant  to  speak ;  startled 
by  the  hint  of  power  in  the  voice  and  manner. 

"Of  whom  are  you  thinking,  my  dear  girl? 
and  Avhere  do  you  want  him  to  go  ?  " 

"  I  'm  thinking  about  Dirk,  ma'am  ;  I  thought 
about  him  all  the  evening ;  the  man  made  me ; 
and  I  've  made  up  my  mind  ;  he 's  got  to  go  to 
heaven !  " 

I  suppose  I  cannot  give  you  an  idea  of  the 
force  in  her  voice.  It  was  as  though  a  resolution, 
from  which  there  could  l^e  no  appeal,  had  been 
taken,  and  the  person  resolving  felt  her  own 
power  to  accomplish.  It  was  altogether  an  un- 
expected answer  to  Mrs.  Roberts.  She  did  not 
know  whether  to  l>e  half-frightened  or  to 
laugh. 

She  sat  down  in  one  of  the  easy-chairs  to  study 


"O  Lord,  take  Dirk,  too."'  3(57 

the  girl,  and  consider  Avhut  answer  to  make. 
Mart,  meantime,  turned  back  to  the  survey  of 
herself  in  the  mirror,  or  to  the  survey  of  what- 
ever she  saw  there,  and  continued  talking  :  — 

"  I  never  knew  much  about  heaven.  You 
may  guess  that,  if  you  have  ever  been  in  our 
alley.  Only  lately,  Sallie  Calkins  she 's  been 
telling  me  what  you  told  her ;  and  I  had  a 
kind  of  notion  that  you  must  know  what  you 
was  talking  about,  and  that  it  was  for  rich  folks 
and  grand  folks  like  you ;  but  the  man  told 
about  that  Madge,  you  know,  to-night  —  an 
awful  drunkard  and  swearer,  and  all  that  — 
how  she  reformed  and  went  to  heaven.  Dirk 
ain't  no  drunkard ;  but  he  will  be.  Everybody 
sa^^s  he  will,  because  father  is  such  an  awful 
one.  Mother,  she  's  never  had  no  hope  of  him. 
She  says  father  did  n't  drink  till  he  was  most 
twenty,  and  then  he  begun  ;  and  she 's  looking 
for  Dirk  to  begin,  and  I  haven't  thought  he 
could  help  it  either.  What  if  he  does  n't  care 
for  it  much  yet?  He  will,  it's  likely.  I've 
never  told  nobody  that,  not  even  Sallie,  and 
I  've  been  mad  at  mother  every  time  she  said 
any  such  thing ;  but  all  the  time  I  've  been  ex- 


368  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:- 

pecting  him  to  begin  ;  and  I  know  ■vvell  enough, 
when  once  they  begin ^  how  it  goes  on.  But 
that  man  to-nis^ht  told  thinsrs  that  made  a  dif- 
ference.  He  says  that  God  can  keep  them  from 
wanting  to  drink,  and  help  them  right  straight 
along ;  and  that  they  can  go  to  heaven  as  well 
as  the  next  one.  I  've  wanted  nice  things  for 
Dirk  all  my  life ;  but  I  never  saw  no  way  to 
get  them,  and  it  made  me  mad.  To-night  I 
saw  a  way,  but  I  never  had  no  kind  of  a  notion 
how  heaven  looked  till  I  come  into  this  room, 
and  see  the  light  and  the  flowers  and  the  shine, 
and  another  room  spread  out  there  in  the  glass ; 
and  now  I  know,  and  Dirk  shall  go  !  " 

Mrs.  Roberts  was  in  no  mood  for  laughing ; 
the  tears  were  dropping  slowly  on  the  flower 
she  held  in  her  hand.  Mart  saw  in  the  glass 
just  then  a  sight  which  seemed  to  add  to  her 
surprise.  She  turned  wondering  eyes  on  her 
hostess. 

"What  are  you  crying  for?"  she  asked. 
"  Don't  spoil  the  flower ;  it  is  like  the  one  Dirk 
brouffht  me  once.  He  said  you  sent  it  to  me. 
I  kept  it  most  a  week.  I  took  it  over  to  Sallie's, 
and  she  got  fresh  water  for  it  every  day,  some- 


"O  Lord,  take  Dirk,  too! "  369 

how  ;  and  it  was  then  she  begun  to  tell  me  what 
you  said, about  heaven,  and  I  thought  if  God 
had  made  such  flowers  as  that  for  you,  it  was 
likely  he  had  made  a  heaven  for  you ;  l)ut  I 
did  n't  believe  it  was  for  Dirk  till  to-night,  and 
I  did  n't  have  no  kind  of  a  notion  how  it  looked 
till  just  now.  Do  you  believe  what  that  man 
said  —  that  folks  like  Dirk  can  go?  Of  course, 
if  Madge  went,  why  Dirk  would  have  a  right. 
He  is  bad  just  because  he  has  to  be.  He  never 
had  no  chance  to  be  anything  else  ;  and  he  ain't 
very  bad,  anyhow  —  nothing  to  compare  with 
some."  Her  voice  was  almost  fierce  in  its 
earnestness ;  she  was  beginning  to  resent  the 
creeping  doubt  that  Mrs.  Roberts'  silence 
suofcjested. 

Careful  w^ords  must  be  spoken  now.  What 
if  this  awakening  soul  should  be  turned  aside  ! 
No  Avondcr  that  the  unspoken  words  were 
prayers. 

"Dirk  has  a  right  to  go  to  heaven,"  she  said, 
steadily,  sweetly  ;  "  there  is  not  the  shadow  of 
a  doubt  as  to  his  right.  No  one  in  the  world  — 
not  Satan  himself — can  deprive  him  of  it;  and 
it  is  not  only  his  right,  but  his  duty  to  go." 


370  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking r 

"  Then  he  shall !  " 

I  wish  I  could  give  you  an  idea  of  the  strength 
in  the  girl's  voice.  It  almost  carried  conviction 
with  it  to  Mrs.  Roberts'  heart. 

"  Come  and  sit  down,"  she  said,  and  she  drew 
her  towards  one  of  the  low  cushions.  If  jNIart 
sat  on  that,  her  head  would  be  just  where  a 
gentle  hand  could  stroke  the  masses  of  hair. 

"  Let  me  talk  with  you  about  this.     You  are 
mistaken  in  one  thing.     Dirk  is  very  bad.     He- 
is  bad  enoujjh  to  shut  him  out  of  heaven  foi 
ever." 

The  girl  started,  and  tried  to  fling  off  tho 
caressing  hand. 

"  So  are  you,"  said  the  gentle  voice. 

"  Oh,  me/  Don't  talk  about  me  !  Whoever 
said  I  was  n't  bad  ?  Let  me  go ;  I  want  to  go 
home.     I  don't  care  how  hard  it  rains." 

"  And  so  am  I,"  continued  the  gentle  voice. 

The  girl  on  the  cushion  ceased  struggling  to 
free  herself  from  the  caressing  touch,  and  re- 
mained motionless. 

"  Let  me  tell  you  of  something  that  we  havn 
each  done  a  great  many  times.  We  have  been 
asked   and   urged   and   coaxed  day  after  day. 


"0  Lord,  take  Dirk,  tool"  371 

and  year  after  year,  to  accept  an  invitation  to  go 
to  this  very  heaven,  and  we  have  paid  no  atten- 
tion at  all ;  and  this,  after  Jesus  Christ  had 
given  His  life  to  make  a  way  for  us  to  go.  Is 
not  that  being  bad  ?  " 

"Dirk  he  never  bad  no  invitation  —  never 
heard  anything  about  it." 

"Yes,  he  has,"  speaking  with  quiet  firmness. 
"The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  told  me  to  invite  him, 
and  I  have  done  so  a  great  many  times,  and  he 
has  made  no  answer ;  and  Sallie  Calkins  has 
invited  you,  and  you  have  treated  it  in  just  the 
same  way." 

"  I  did  n't  believe  it." 

"  Is  n't  that  being  bad  ?  What  has  He  ever 
*ione  that  you  should  refuse  to  believe  His  word, 
when  He  died  an  awful  death  to  prove  to  you 
that  He  was  in  earnest  ?  " 

"  You  said  Dirk  had  a  right  to  go." 

"  So  he  has.  Jesus  Christ  has  given  him  a 
right,  if  he  will,  I  have  invited  you  to  my 
house,  and  asked  you  to  spend  the  night  in  this 
room,  and  sleep  in  this  bed.  Has  any  person  a 
right  to  keep  you  from  doing  so  ?  " 

"No."     An  emphatic  nod  of  the  head,  and  a 


372  IJsler  Bied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

lingering,  almost  loving  look  at  the  -white  bed 
behind  her. 

"Then  cannot  you  truthfully  say  that  you 
have  a  right  to  be  here  ?  My  dear  girl,  it  is  so 
faint  an  illustration  of  what  Jesus  Christ  has 
done  to  give  vou  a  risrht  to  heaven,  that  I  almost 
wonder  at  your  understanding  it.  But  can  you 
imaijine  somethinj?  of  how  I  should  have  felt 
had  I  urged  you  to  come  to  me  night  after  night, 
for  weeks  and  years,  and  you  had  turned  from 
me  with  no  answer,  or  else  with  scorn?" 

"You  would  n't  have  kept  on  asking  me." 
Mart  spoke  with  the  assurance  of  one  who  had 
firm  faith  in  her  statement. 

"  No,  I  presume  I  should  not.  I  would  have 
said  after  the  third  or  fourth  invitation,  'If  she 
really  will  not  have  anything  to  do  with  me  I 
cannot  help  it,'  and  I  should  have  tried  to 
forget  you.  This  is  one  of  the  many  differences 
between  Christ  and  me.  lie  waits,  and  asks, 
and  asks.  How  long  will  you  keep  Him  wait- 
ing?" 

I  have  given  you  only  the  beginning  of  the 
conversation.     It  was  long  ere  it  was  concluded. 

Down  stairs  Mr.  Ried  waited  as  Ions:  as  he 


.  ''O  Lord,  tal-e  Dirk,  too."'  373 

could,  curious  to  know  the  result  of  Mart's 
first  impressions.  Then  he  went  away,  and 
Gracie  M^ent  to  her  room,  and  the  house  settled 
into  quiet,  and  Mr.  Roberts,  in  the  library, 
Avaited  for  his  Avife,  while  she  told  over  again, 
with  tender  words  and  simple  illustrations,  the 
"  old,  old  story,"  so  fitted  to  the  wants  of  the 
world. 

How  many  times  has  there  been  a  like  result. 

It  was  mhdnight  when  they  knelt  together,  the 
fair  child  of  luxury  and  the  child  of  poverty  ;  but 
the  Saviour,  who  intercedes  for  both,  bent  His 
ear,  and  heard  again  the  cry  of  a  groping  soul, 
seeking  Him  out  of  darkness,  and  held  out  His 
loving,  never-failing  arms,  able  to  reach  down 
to  her  depth,  and  received  her  to  himself.  Who 
can  tell  that  story?  Who  can  describe  how 
heaven  seemed  to  the  girl  just  then  ? 

It  was  not  what  Mrs.  Roberts  had  expected. 
I  cannot  even  say  that  it  was  what  she  had 
hoped  for.  Her  faith  had  not  reached  to  such  a 
height  at  all.  She  could  hardly  have  put  into 
words  what  she  hoped.  When  she  ventured  to 
try  to  tell  it  to  the  friends  in  the  parlor,  and  to 
you,   I  doubt  whether   you   understood.     She 


874  Efifer  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking:'  • 

tliouiilit  to  get  a  hold  on  the  girl ;  to  show  her 
something  of  God's  beauty  and  love,  as  it  shone 
through  herself;  to  make  her  long  after  some- 
thing her  life  did  not  give,  and  to  graduall}^  lead 
her  to  seek  after  satisfaction  in  Christ.  A  long 
process  —  something  that  should  unfold  grad- 
ually, with  many  discouraging  drawbacks,  and 
some  days  that  would  look  like  utter  failures. 
She  had  schooled  herself  to  be  prepared  for 
this,  but  she  had  not  looked  for  Iliili  to  exert 
His  mighty  power  to  save  in  a  moment.  How 
it  had  touched  her  to  find  a  soul,  hungry,  not 
for  itself,  but  for  a  brother,  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  tell. 

The  first  words  she  said,  after  she  went  back 
to  her  waiting  husband,  a  little  after  midnight, 
were  these ;  — 

"  He  could  not  do  many  mighty  works  there 
because  of  their  unbelief."  I  think  that  is  what 
is  the  matter  with  the  world  to-day.  I  wonder 
if  He  would  not  be  pleased  with  one  who  could 
throw  herself  at  His  feet  with  a  childlike  aban- 
don of  faith,  and  expect  wonders,  yes,  and 
impossibilities,  just  as  a  child  feels  that  anything 
can  be  done  by  father  ?     God  has  shamed  my 


"0  Lord,  take  Dirk,  too!''  ^75 

faith  to-night.  It  is  as  though  I  had  asked  for 
a  crumb  of  bread,  and  he  gave  me  the  entire 
loaf.  That  girl  up-stairs  has  not  heard  of  Him 
before  as  a  Saviour  for  her;  has  never  thought 
of  such  a  thing,  or,  at  least,  dreamed  of  its 
possibility,  and  jet  she  has  given  herself  to 
Him.  And  Evan,  what  do  you  think  were  the 
first  words  she  said?  '  O  Lord,  take  Dirk,  too  ! ' 
She  is  on  her  knees  at  this  moment  praying  for 
him.  If  you  could  have  seen  her  face  when  it 
first  dawned  upon  her  that  she  could  tell  God 
about  him,  and  ask  for  His  mighty  power  to  be 
exerted  in  his  behalf,  it  would  have  been  a 
picture  for  your  lifetime.  Oh,  Evan,  Evan, 
why  can  we  not  expect  great  things  of  God  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

'AN    AWFUL    PROBLEM!" 

S  N'T  it  strange,  the  ways  the  Lord 

takes  to  answer  prayers  ? 

Much  prayer   had   been   made    for 

Dirk  Colson,  but  few  had  thought  of 
his  sister.  Sallie  -Calkins,  it  is  true,  had  come 
with  trembling  steps  into  the  light  of  Christ's 
love,  and  had  immediately  desired  to  have  ISIart 
enjoy  it  with  her,  but  Avas  very  trembling  and 
doubting  as  to  her  abilitv  to  reach  Mart,  or  to 
influence  her  in  the  right  direction.  She  sent 
the  bonnet  and  cape  to  the  lecture  with  a  prayer, 
but  she  did  not  look  for  the  prayer  to  be  an- 
swered. Verily,  He  has  to  be  content  with 
faith  "  less  than  a  grain  of  mustard-seed." 

Was  the  rest  of  the  story  an  answer  to 
prayer?  We  are  to  remember  that  He  has 
strange  ways.  Events  startling  enough  in  their 
import  followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession. 
In  the  first  place.  Dirk's  father,  poor,  wrecked 
376 


''An  Aivf III  Problem!"  377 

man,  returned  no  more.  Whether  he  had 
wandered  among  the  network  of  raik'oads  which 
lined  the  southern  portion  of  the  city,  and  lost 
his  life  there,  or  whether  he  had  ftillen  into  the 
river,  or  just  how  he  had  disappeared,  could 
not  be  discovered.  There  were  three  men  killed 
hy  an  accident  on  the  road  one  night,  but  their 
disfigured  bodies  were  buried  before  Dirk  heard 
of  it.  There  was  a  man  seen  struijijlino:  in  the 
water  oif  the  loAver  wharf  one  evenino;,  but  he 
sank  before  help  could  reach  him,  and  his  body 
was  not  recovered.  There  were  half  a  dozen 
men  killed  by  a  boiler  explosion,  but  that  was  not 
heard  of  in  time  to  look  into  it.  There  were  so 
many  ways  in  which  the  wreck  might  have  gone 
out  of  life  and  left  no  sign.  They  were  safe  in 
supposing  that  he  was  intoxicated,  and  that  was 
about  all  they  could  be  perfectly  sure  of,  con- 
cerning him ;  that,  and  the  fact  that  he  came  no 
more.  Of  course,  there  was  no  such  search  for 
him  as  is  made  for  the  man  of  respectability  and 
position.  To  one  who  had  some  idea  of  the 
worth  of  a  soul,  it  was  pitiful  to  see  what  a  tiny 
ripple  this  disappearance  made  on  the  surface 
of  life. 


378  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking:' 

A  moment  of  startled  questioning  by  those 
■\vlio  lived  in  the  immediate  neighborhood ;  a 
few  women  with  aprons  thrown  over  their  heads, 
congregating  in  groups  around  the  pump,  or  be- 
fore the  door  of  the  bakery ;  a  crowd  of  dirty 
children,  stopping  their  play  for  a  moment,  and 
speaking  lower;  —  then  the  tide  of  noisy,  fight- 
ing, swearing  life  w-ent  on. 

One  was  gone  out  from  it.  Whither?  None 
knew,  few  cared;  and  there  were  such  crowds 
and  croicds  left,  how  could  he  be  missed? 

One  missed  him,  —  an  abused,  insulted,  down- 
trodden woman.  One  w4iom,  years  before,  he 
had  promised  to  love  and  cherish  until  death 
parted  them,  and  had  broken  the  vows  almost 
as  soon  as  taken,  and  never  renewed  them 
again.  Yet  that  woman  wept  bitter  tears  over 
his  absence  ;  watched  for  him,  listened  nightly 
for  his  staggering  footsteps ;  rose  up  from  her 
heap  of  straw  in  the  corner  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  and  set  wide  open  the  cellar  door,  and 
listened  to  the  angry  voices  floating  doAvn  to  her 
from  some  drunken  brawl  further  up  the  street, 
if,  perchance,  she  might  hear  his  ;  listened,  and 
held  her  breath,  and  quivered  all  over  with  hoi)o 


''An  Awful  Problem  !  "  379 

and  fear  :  then  crept  back  to  her  miserable  bed, 
covered  her  head  with  the  ragged  quilt,  and 
cried  herself  into  a  few  hours  of  forgetfulness, 

"  She  is  crying  herself  to  death  about  him  !" 
Mart  said.  There  Avas  surprise  mingled  with 
awe  in  her  voice. 

She  told  it  to  Dirk,  and  the  two  stood  thought- 
fully for  a  moment  looking  out  at  the  one  win- 
doAv.  They  carefully  avoided  looking  at  each 
other.  They  did  not  understand.  To  them 
there  was  simply  relief  in  the  father's  absence. 
They  had  no  trace  of  love  for  him  in  their 
hearts.  The  word  "father"  meant  nothing  to 
(hem  but  misery.  Still  there  was  that  in  them 
Avdiich  respected  the  mothers  grief;  they  tried 
to  shield  her.  Dirk,  of  hisown  thoughtfulness, 
brought  home  a  bit  of  tea  in  a  paper,  and 
bought  half  a  pint  of  milk  at  the  corner  bakery  ; 
and  jVIart  took  lessons  of  Sallie,  and  made  a 
delicate  slice  of  toast,  and  borrowed  Sallie's  one 
cup  and  saucer  to  serve  the  tea  in.  She  was 
disappointed  that  the  mother  cried,  and  could 
hardly  drink  the  tea.  She  was  even  almost 
vexed  that  the  mother  said  with  tears  that  "  \ioov 
Jock   always    did   like   tea   so    much,  and    she 


380         Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking r  . 

had  always  thought  that  maybe  if  he  could  have 
had  it  hot  and  strong  he  •would  not  have  taken 
to  the  drink." 

Mart  had  no  foith  in  this,  no  belief  that  any- 
thing in  her  father's  past  life  could  have  kept 
him  from  the  drink  ;  but  she  held  herself  silent, 
and  let  the  tears  have  their  wa}'.  All  the  time 
she  had  in  her  heart  one  great  solemn  resrret. 
There  was  one  who  would  have  helped  her 
father ;  would  and  could  have  saved  him,  even 
from  rum.  What  if  she,  his  daughter,  had 
known  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  could  have  taken 
the  miserable  father  to  Him  and  had  him  trans- 
formed !  Mart  had  no  doubt  about  His  po^ver 
to  do  it.  An  unansweral)le  argument  had  l)een 
given  her.  No  infidel  need  try  to  assail  her 
now. 

But  the  father !  Why  had  everybody  kept 
silence,  and  let  him  sink  away  ? 

Awful ! 

Why  had  not  she  known  Christ  ?  Why  had  she 
not  listened  to  Sallie  but  a  week  before  ?  Why  had 
not  Dirk  learned  the  way  and  saved  his  father? 
An  awful  problem  !  Mart's  life  must  henceforth 
be  shadowed  by  it. 


''An  Awful  Problem!"  381 

Meantime  what  was  Mrs.  Roberts  to  do  for 
this  new-born  soul  ?  How  was  she  to  help  her, 
and,  through  her,  to  help  her  brother  ? 

She,  in  her  elegant  home,  sat  down  to  study 
this  problem. 

Life  at  Ejist  Fifty-fifth  Street  was  so  far  re- 
moved from  life  in  the  alley  that  she  knew 
nothing  about  the  missing  father.  Days  passed, 
and,  busy  with  many  claims  of  society,  she  had 
made  no  movement  toward  helping  the  girl,  and 
knew  as  yet  no  way  to  do  it ;  yet  she  carried 
her  on  her  heart.  Monday  evening  came  and 
went,  and  still  she  had  been  detained  from  any 
effort. 

One  afternoon  her  thoughts  shaped  themselves 
into  action.  She  would  go  and  see  Mart. 
She  would  get  Dirk  to  protect  her  in  her  jour- 
ney down  the  alley  ;  also,  in  accomplishing  this, 
she  Mould  accomplish  another  thing.  She 
would  call  on  Dirk  at  his  place  of  business. 
The  chief  of  the  office  was  a  Clu'istian  man  ;  yet 
she  had  reason  to  believe  that  he  knew  less 
about  Dirk,  and  cared  much  less  for  him,  than 
he  did  for  his  little  dog,  who  sat  in  the  window 
and  barked  at  passers-by. 


382  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

She  had  no  difficulty  in  sccurins:  attention. 
Ladies  were  not  often  admitted,  but  u  card  bear- 
ing the  name  "  Mrs.  Evan  Roberts  "  was  suffi- 
cient passport  among  any  of  the  business  men 
of  the  city. 

Mr.  Stone  was  more  than  ready,  he  was  eager 
to  serve  her.  What  could  he  do  for  the 
elegantl3''-dressed  lady  whose  carriage  waited  at 
the  door,  while  she  came  in  person  among  the 
bales  and  boxes  ?   Her  business  must  be  ur«rent. 

It  was.  Could  she  speak  with  Mr.  Colson  just 
for  a  moment  ?  She  would  not  detain  him  long ; 
but  she  wished  to  make  an  appointment  with 
him  for  the  next  day. 

"  Mr.  Colson  !  "  The  chief  and  his  perplexed 
assistant  looked  at  each  other  thoughtfully,  and 
shook  their  heads.  There  was  no  such  person 
connected  with  their  establishment.  She  must 
have  the  wroni?  number. 

No  ;  she  was  positive. 

"  He  told  me  only  three  days  ago  that  he 
was  in  your  employ.  He  is  on  the  third  floor, 
I  believe." 

The  gentlemen  looked  at  each  other  again. 

"Colson  I"  repeated  Mr.  Stone.     "There  is 


''An  Awful  Problem  !  "  383 

certainly  a  mistake.  Brisrgs  is  in  charge  on  the 
third  floor  front,  and  Dickson  has  the  back 
room§.  No,  ]\Irs.  Eoberts,  Ave  have  no  such 
name  among  our  men,  I  am  positive." 

But  Mrs.  Roberts  gently  held  her  ground. 
She  Avas  sure  she  Avas  not  mistaken,  for  she  had 
talked  with  him  about  his  Avork  and  the  different 
men.  He  Avas  in  Mr.  Briggs'  department,  she 
felt  quit«  sure.  He  AA'as  not  a  foreman,  she  ex- 
plained, but  quite  u  A'oung  man  ;  had  been  there 
but  a  few  Aveeks,  and  Dr.  Everett  AA'as  the  one 
Avho  had  interested  himself  in  securing  the- 
place. 

Light  of  some  sort  began  to  daAvn  on  the  per 
plexed  faces  of  the  gentlemen. 

"Can  she  mean  black  Dirk,  do  you .  sup- 
pose?" questioned  the  elder,  looking  hard  at 
his  associate. 

Then  came  tlie  sAA'cet  voice  of  the  visitor. 

"Oh,  no;  he  is  not  a  colored  gentleman.  Hi?, 
name  is  Colson,  —  Mr.  Derrick  Colson." 

"That  is  the  one,"  said  the  gentleman, 
quickly.      Should  he  laiigh  or  be  annoyed  ? 

It  took  but  a  motnent  after  that  to  summon 
"Mr.  Derrick  Colson."   Black  he  Avas,  certainly, 


384  Ester  Ptied  "  Yet  Speal'ing:' 

not  only  by  reason  of  his  naturally  dark  skin, 
but  Ijecause  of  the  g'riniy  Avork,  whatever  it 
■was,  which  fell  to  his  lot.  Ilis  big  apron  was 
soiled  with  ink  and  oil,  and  daubed  w'ith  bits  of 
dark  color  which  seemed  not  to  be  either. 

He  came  forward  with  his  usual  shambling 
gait,  and  an  additional  shade  of  sullenness  ap- 
parent on  his  face,  but  it  glowed  a  swarthy 
red  when  he  recognized  the  lady. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Colson,"  she  said,  and 
she  held  forth  her  delicatelj'-gloved  hand. 

His  own  went  forward  to  meet  it ;  then  drew 
suddenly  back. 

"  It  is  not  clean  enough,"  he  said  ;  "  there  's 
ink  or  somethinij  on  it." 

But  the,  lavender  kids  were  not  withdrawn. 

"Never  mind  the  ink;  a  little  honest  soil 
never  hurt  anybody,"  and  the  rough,  dark  hand 
was  taken  in  her  own. 

Then  occurred  a  few  moments'  chat ;  at  least 
the  lady  chatted  with  easy  familiarity.  She 
referred  to  the  "  Social  Parlors, "  to  the  "  ]Mon- 
day  Evenings,"  to  Miss  Dennis'  "  Musicale,"  to 
half  a  dozen  themes  about  which  the  bewildered 
jjentlemen  within  hearing  knew  nothing. 


''An  Aicful  Problem!  "  385 

Could  it  be  that  the  low-voiced,  gentle  lady 
was  trying  to  give  them  a  lesson  as  well  as  to  talk 
with  Dirk  ?  Finally  she  made  an  appointment  for 
the  next  afternoon.  Would  his  employer  be  so 
kind  as  to  excuse  him  for  an  hour,  if  convenient  ? 
Certainly,  it  would  be  convenien^'|£b  j^lease  Mrs. 
Evan  Roberts.  z^-^'' 

Dirk  was  very  much  embarrassed.  He 
blushed  and  stammered,  and  did  not  know  how 
to  answer  any  of  the  kindnesses ;  but  there 
were 'two  things  during  the  interview  which 
gave  Mrs.  Rol^crts  more  pleasure  than  you,  per- 
haps, are  able  to  understand. 

One  was,  that  at  sight  of  her  he  had  sud- 
denly snatched  off  the  paper  cap  which  he  wore, 
and  the  other,  that  having  set  it  again  on  his 
head  as  he  turned  from  her,  he  glanced  back 
from  the  door,  and,  in  answer  to  her  bow  and 
smile,  lifted  the  ugly  little  cap  with  an  air  that 
Avas  an  exact  imitation  of  young  Ried,  and  yet 
so  well  done  that  you  would  not  have  thought 
of  it  as  an  imitation. 

•    Mrs.  Roberts  could  have  clapped  her  hands ; 
but  she  did  not.     Instead  she  said,  sweetly  :  — 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  Mr.   Colson  is  in  the 


386  Uster  Bled  ''Yet  Speaking r 

employ  of  a  Cliristian  gentleman.  He  is 
gi-eatly  in  need  of  help  from  all  Christian 
sources,  and  I  am  sure  there  is  that  in  him 
■which  will-  respond  to  judicious  effort." 

Then  she  let  the  bewildered  man  attend  her 
to  her  carj^'^e,  and  went  her  way  rejoicing. 

But  there  were  plans  being  laid  for  her  at 
that  moment  of  which  she  knew  nothing. 

To-morrow  she  would  ":o  and  see  the  fjolden- 
haired  girl.  In  a  neath'-packed  basket  she  had 
certain  things,  among  them  a  bonnet  and  a 
sack  that  she  knew  would  fit  the  hair  and  face, 
and  she  believed  would  give  jNIart  pleasure.  If 
only  she  could  contrive  a  natural  way  to  give 
them  to  her,  and  there  could  be  planned  v.ays  of 
keeping  them  safe  from  the  pawnbroker's  grasp. 
All  this  time  she  knew  nothing  of  the  fact  that 
the  hand  which  had  grasped  for  years  to  furnish 
the  pawnbroker  was  stilled  forever.  It  had 
not  once  occurred  to  Dirk  to  tell  her.  It  is  a 
solemn  fact  that  in  this  greater  excitement  he 
had  actually  forgotten  it !  As  for  the  "  Christian 
employer,"  he  did  not  know  of  it  to  tell.  He 
had  not  so  much  as  known  whether  black  Dirk 


"An  Aivful  Problem!  "  387 

had  a  father  or  not.  He  was  simply  a  street 
rough,  Avhom  Dr.  Everett  was  trying  experi- 
ments with  ;  and  because  there  was  an  unusual 
pressure  on  the  office,  and  poor  help  was  better 
than  none,  he  was  helping  the  experiment. 

However,  when  Dirk  went  home  from  the 
office  that  nis^ht  he  remembered  that  the  father 
Avas  gone. 

]\Iart  met  him  at  the  door,  a  look  of  solemn 
determination  on  her  face. 

"  Dirk,"  she  said,  "  she 's  going ;  as  sure  as 
you  live,  she's  going.  She's  been  bad  all  the 
afternoon.  Sal  lie  says  that  Mark's  doctor  will 
come  to  see  her,  —  she  knows  he  Avill,  and  Mark 
shall  go  for  him  as  soon  as  he  comes  home ;  but 
I  don 't  mean  to  Avait  for  no  doctor.  I  Avant  her 
to  come.  SJie  knoAvs  the  A\'ay,  and  I  want 
mother  to  be  told  it  right,  so  there  won't  be  no 
mistake.  You  go  for  her.  Dirk,  right  off 
straight.  There  ain't  any  time  to  lose,  for  I 
tell  you  now  she 's  going.  She  's  been  failing 
all  along,  you  knoAv,  and  she  has  just  cried  her- 
self down.  Dirk,  Avill  you  go  for  her  as  fast  as 
you  can?" 

The  confusion  of  pronouns  might  have  be- 


888  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking. " 

AvilJercd  you.  They  did  not  Dirk.  ^'  Her''' 
meant  to  him  exactly  what  it  did  to  ]\Iart.  He 
could  not  think  how  it  could  possibly  mean  any 
other  person.  But  this  was  astounding  news 
about  his  mother  !  It  was  one  thing  to  have  a 
father  disappear,  whom  he  had  simply  feared, 
until  he  had  learned  to  hate ;  it  was  quite 
another  thing  to  talk  about  the  going  away  of 
the  only  one  who  had  ever  tried  to  mend  his 
clothes,  and  who  had  sat  up  nights  to  wash  them 
when  she  could. 

He  strode  past  Mart  into  the  wretched  room, 
and  looked  at  the  bed  in  the  corner. 

The  mother  was  asleep,  but  on  her  face  was  a 
stranire  change  —  a  something  that  he  had  never 
seen  there  before,  worn  and  sunken  as  it  always 
was.     It  made  him  understand  Mart's  fears. 

"  I  '11  go,"  he  said  huskily,  and  rushed  from 
the  house. 

"  Her "  carriage  was  just  rolling  down  the 
avenue  as  his  swift  feet  cleared  the  alley.  He 
knew  the  horses.  He  was  a  little  ahead  of 
them ;  but  it  was  not  probable  that  the  driver 
would  stop  for  him. 

"  Won't  you  stop  that  carriage  ?  "  he  said  in 


''An  Aioful  Problem  !  "  389 

breathless  haste  to  a  poh'ceraan  at  the  comer ; 
"  I  've  got  to  speak  to  the  lady  that 's  in  it." 

"  I  '11  be  quite  likely  to,  no  doubt !  "  said  the 
policeman,  in  quiet  irony.  "What  rascality 
are  you  up  to  now,  Dirk?  CarCt  you  be 
decent  for  a  few  days?" 

But  Dirk  was  trvins;  to  free  himself  from  the 
detaining  hand,  and  threw  up  one  arm  in  a  sort 
of  despairing  gesture  to  the  coachman.  Mr. 
Roberts  caught  the  signal,  recognized  the  face, 
and  in  another  moment  the  horses  stood  rest- 
lessly by  the  curl)stone,  and  Dirk,  his  embar- 
rassment gone,  told  his  brief  story  rapidly. 

"  Father  went  off  a  spell  ago,  and  never  came 
back ;  and  mother,  she  is  sickly,  and  it  set  her 
crying ;  and  she 's  going.  Mart  thinks,  and  I 
guess  it 's  so  ;  and  ]\Iart  wants  you  to  come  and 
show  her  the  way.  She  said  you  knew  how, 
and  vou  would  come." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"MAY  SHE  GO  WITH  ME?" 

F  course  she  went.  And,  of  course, 
now  that  the  truth  was  known,  much 
Avas  done.  Dr.  Everett  was  sum- 
moned. The  wretched  bed,  with  its 
distressing  rags,  were  turned  out  together,  and 
a  comfortable  one  took  its  place.  Broths  and 
teas  and  jellies  and  physical  comfort  of  every 
kind  were  furnished,  and  the  doctor  did  his  best 
to  battle  Avith  the  disease  that  long  years  of 
want  and  misery  had  fastened  upon  their  vic- 
tim. It  was  all  too  late,  of  course.  It  was  true, 
what  Mr.  Roberts  sadly  said,  that  half  of  the 
effort,  expended  years  or  even  months  before, 
might  have  saved  the  poor,  tortured  life ;  but 
now  I 

How  awful  those  "  too  lates  "  are  !  Is  n't  it 
a  wonder  that  we  ever  take  the  risk  of  having 
one  ring  in  our  ears  forever?     There  was  one 

390 


''May  She  go  with  J/e?"  391 

thing  over  which  some  of  these  Christian  workers 
shed  tears  of  joy. 

"/  am  too  late,"  said  Dr.  Everett,  "but  my 
Master  has  as  much  power  to-day  as  ever.  He 
can  save  her." 

'  And  He  did.  The  poor,  tired  woman,  who 
years  before  had  remembered  an  old  story  well 
enou<2:h  to  name  her  one  dausrhter  "  Martha," 
in  memory  of  the  one  Avho  "  loved  JNIartha  and 
her  sister  and  Lazarus,"  roused  her  dull  heart 
at  the  mention  of  His  name,  and  listened  while 
the  w^onderful  story  was  told  her  that  He  loved 
not  only  Martha  and  her  sister,  but  her  own 
poor,  smful,  wrecked  self;  loved  her  enough  to 
reach  after  her,  and  call  and  wait,  and  prepare 
for  her  a  home  in  His  glory. 

Dear !  Why  has  not  some  one  come  with 
the  news  before?  Surely  she  Avould  have 
listened  during  these  long,  sad  years.  Well, 
they  made  the  way  plain.  Neither  was  it  a 
difficult  thing  to  do.  The  woman  was  weary 
and  travel-stained  and  afraid,  and  longed  for 
nothing  so  much  as  a  place  of  refuge.  She 
knew  that  she  Avas  a  sinner ;  she  knew  that  she 
was,  and  had  been  for  many  a  year,  powerless 


392  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

to  help  herself.  "Why  should  she  not  hail  with 
joy  the  story  of  u  great  and  willing  Helper? 

"Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are 
heavy  laden."  She  opened  her  eyes  with  a 
gleam  of  eagerness  to  hear  the  words.  "  Weary  ?  " 
Yes,  indeed  !  "  Heavy  laden  ? "  Who  more 
so?  If  the  call  was  not  for  her,  whom  could  it 
mean?  What  else?  Why,  what,  but  the 
glorious  old  story,  "I  will  give  you  rest?" 
What  wonder  that  she  closed  her  eyes  and 
smiled !  AMiat  wonder  that  the  first  words 
after  that  were:  "I'll  come;  show  me  how." 
And  He  showed  her  how. 

"Dirk,"  the  sister  said,  when  the  mother  had 
gone  the  last  and  only  restful  journey  of  her 
life,  "  Dirk,  she  went  to  heaven ;  and  I  'm  go- 
ing. I  've  been  wanting  to  tell  you  for  more 
than  a  week,  but  I  didn't  know  how.  He 
asked  me  to,  and  I  'm  going.  Now  you  must. 
'Cause  we  never  had  a  good  time  here,  and  she  Ml 
kind  of  expect  it  in  heaven,  and  be  looking  out 
for  you ;  she  always  looked  out  for  you,  Dirk." 

Then  did  Dirk  lose  his  half-sullen  self-con- 
trol, and  great  tears  rolled  down  his  dark 
cheeks. 


"May  She  go  wiih  Me?''  393 

But  the  sister  shed  no  tears.  She  had  serious 
business  to  attend  to.  Dirk  must  go  to  heaven 
noio  without  fail. 

One  day  there  was  an  unusual  scene  in  the 
alley.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a 
coffin  carried  out  from  there,  but  on  this  day 
there  was  a  hearse,-  and  a  minister  in  Dr. 
Everett's  carriage,  and  Dirk  and  his  sister,  in 
neat  apparel,  came  out  together  and  were  seated 
in  ]Mr.  Eoberts'  carriage ;  and  all  the  boys  of 
the  Monday-evening  Class  walked  arm  in  arm 
after  the  slow-movinsr  carriaofes  ;  and  the  chil- 
dren  of  the  alley  stopped  their  playing  and  their 
fighting,  and  the  Avomen  stood  silent  in  door- 
ways, and  took,  most  of  them,  their  very  first 
lesson  in  the  proprieties  of  life. 

"  She  's  got  a  ride  in  a  carriage  at  last,  poor 
soul  I  "  said  one,  thinking  of  the  worn-out  body 
in  the  coffin ;  and  another  said :  "  I  wonder 
what  poor  old  Jock  would  think  of  all  this?  " 

But  the  scene  made  its  impression,  and  left  its 
lesson.  I  think  the  voices  of  some  of  them 
were  lower  during  the  rest  of  the  day  because 
of  it. 


394  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

"What  next?  It  Avas  the  question  that  filled 
Mrs.  Roberts'  thoughts.  Somethina:  must  be 
done  for  Dirk  and  Mart.  That  feai-ful  alley  was 
no  place  for  human  beings ;  certainl}'  not  for 
these  two.  But  what  to  do  with  them  was  a 
question  not  easily  answered. 

Various  plans  were  proposed.  Sallie  Calkins' 
two  rooms  were  mucli  bett.er  than  the  cellar  in 
which  the  Colson  family  had  lived ;  and  there 
was  a  chance  to  rent  a  room  next  to  Sallie's,  with 
a  closet  opening  from  it  for  Dirk.  How  would 
it  do  to  have  them  board  with  Sallie?  The 
suggestion  came  first  from  Gracie  Dennis,  and 
sounded  reasonable.  Mrs.  Roberts  was  almost 
ashamed  to  dislike  it  as  much  as  she  did.  Sallie's 
neat  rooms  were  Jiome  now.  The  father,  for 
this  length  of  time  at  least,  held  to  his  pledge ; 
and  son  and  dauijhter  were  radiant  over  him. 
He  had  gone  to  work,  and  already  the  two 
rooms  were  taking  on  an  air  of  greater  comfort 
because  of  the  little  things  that  he  proudly 
brought  home. 

Sallie  was  doing  her  part  wisel}'.  The  table 
was  regularly  laid  now,  with  a  white  cloth  and 
knives  and  forks ;  and  two  new  cups  and  plates 


''May  She  go  iHlh  Me?  "  395 

had  been  added  to  the  dishes.  Would  it  be 
"wise  to  invade  this  home  just  at  this  juncture 
and  introduce  1>oarders?  Mrs.  Eobcrts  did  not 
Iselieve  that  it  Avould.  It  was  not  as  though  the 
lather  had  an  estabhshed  character,  and  stood 
ve;uly  to  shield  his  children ;  they  were  still 
acting  the  protective,  and  he  had  but  too  re- 
cently risen  from  the  depths  where  Dirk  and 
Mart  had  laughed  and  jeered  at  him.  Besides, 
the  rooms  were  located  in  that  dreadful  alley ; 
and,  do  what  she  would,  Mrs.  Roberts  could  not 
feel  that  that  dangerously-beautiful  face  could 
find  a  safe  abiding-place  in  that  alley.  Some 
other  way  must  be  thought  of. 

Their  immediate  future  was  arranged  through 
the  intervention  of  a  house  agent ;  for  even  that 
dreary  and  desolate  cellar  had  its  agent,  who 
was  eairer  to  secure  his  rent.  He  was  unwise 
enough  to  undertake  to  interview  Mrs.  Roberts 
as  she  descended  from  her  carriage,  not  long 
after  it  had  follov/ed  Mart's  mother  to  the 
grave. 

He  considered  this  effort  of  his  a  special 
stroke  of  business  energy.  He  wanted  to  be 
patient  with  the  poor,  he  said  ;  there  was  n't  an 


396  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  SpeaJcincf:' 

a£>ent  in  the  city  who  "waited  for  them  oftener 
than  he  did  ;  but  business  was  business,  and  it 
stood  to  reason  that  he  could  not  depend  on  a 
felh>\v  like  Dirk.  It  had  been  bad  enouofh  when 
the  mother  was  tlicre,  but  he  could  n't  think  of 
such  a  thing  as  riskinof  it  now.  AVhat  was  he  to 
understand?  Did  she  mean  to  rent  the  room 
for  them,  and  for  how  long?  Because  it  was 
his  duty  to  look  out  for  the  future. 

What  would  be  more  natural  than  for  Mrs. 
Roberts,  with  those  two  young  things  looking 
on,  to  say  that  of  course  she  would  be  respon- 
sible for  the  rent  as  long  as  they  lived  in  the 
room  ?     Thus  reasoned  the  house  agent. 

Instead  of  which,  Mrs.  Roberts  turned 
toward  Dirk,  her  face  flushed  over  the  hard- 
ness of  a  man  who  could  stop  a  boy  and  girl  on 
such  business  on  their  way  from  their  mother's 
grave,  and  said  ; — 

"  If  I  were  in  your  place,  Mr.  Colson,  I 
should  not  rent  these  rooms  at  all.  They  are 
not  suited  to  your  sister's  needs.  I  am  sure 
you  can  do  better." 

The  agent  was  disgusted.  "Mi'.  Colson," 
indeed  !      The  disreputable  young  scamp  whom 


''May  She  go  with  3fe9"  397 

nobody  trusted.  He  would  show  this  silly 
woman  a  fact  or  two. 

"  Business  is  businee  '  he  repeated,  doggedly. 
"Either  they  must  take  the  room,  and  pay  the 
rent  in  advance,  or  else  tiiey  must  hustle  out 
that  ver}^  night.  He  had  waited  now  three 
days  after  time  for  decency's  sake,  and  more 
than  that  he  could  n"t  and  would  n't  do." 

Dirk  stood  looking  from  one  to  the  other ; 
the  red  coming  and  going  on  his  swarthy  face. 
Here  was  responsibility  !  He  had  not  thought 
of  it  before.  The  mother  was  not  there  to 
count  out  the  hoarded  rent  with  trembling 
fingers,  and  save  the  wretched  home  to  them  for 
another  month.  She  would  never  be  there 
again.  He  had  nothing  with  which  to  pay  rent ; 
he  had  nowhere  to  move.  Yet  .she  had  called 
him  Mr.  Colson,  and  seenied  to  expect  him  to 
act  for  himself  and  Mart. 

It  was  she  who  answered  the  agent,  but  she 
spoke  to  Dirk. 

"Yer\'  well;  I  suppose  you  are  quite  as  will- 
ing to  leave  iiere  to-night  as  at  any  time  ?  If  I 
were  you,  I  would  leave  immediately.  Let 
your  sister  come  home  with  me  for  the  night, 


398  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking :' 

and  until  you  have  time  to  make  other  arrange- 
ments." 

Mr.  Roberts  had  been  summoned  to  a  bank 
meeting,  and  had  sent  Ried  to  attend  his  wife. 
He  came  forward  now,  from  the  carriage  where 
he  had  stood  waiting,  and  laid  a  hand  on  Dirk  '& 
arm. 

"  And  you  come  home  with  me  to-night, 
Colson,"  he  said  in  a  cordial  tone,  such  as  he 
might  have  used  with  any  young  friend  ;  "  then 
we  shall  have  a  chance  to  talk  things  over  and 
make  plans." 

"That  is  nice,"  Mrs.  Roberts  said,  quickly, 
rejoicing  in  her  heart  over  Ried's  promptness 
to  act.  "Then  you  can  get  away  from  this 
wretched  place  at  once.  Mr.  Roberts  will  see 
to  the  removal  of  your  goods,  whatever  j^ou 
need,  and  the  agent  can  call  on  him  in  the 
morning.  That  will  be  the  simplest  Avay  to 
settle  it  all.     ]\Iay  she  go  with  me?" 

A  slight,  caressing  movement  of  a  gloved 
hand  on  the  girl's  arm  accompanied  this  question. 

Mart  was  silent  with  bewildei-ment.  When 
had  Dirk  ever  before  been  asked  what  she 
might  do,  or  miijht  not  do?     At  first  she  was 


''May  She  go  with  Me?"  399 

half  inclined  to  scorn  the  suggestion.  Then, 
suddenly,  it  came  to  her  with  a  sense  of  relief 
and  protection :  she  was  not  alone ;  it  was 
Dirk's  business  to  think  of  and  care  for  her. 
Would  he  do  it? 

As  for  Dirk,  no  wonder  that  his  face  was 
deeply  flushed.  New  thoughts  were  struggling 
in  his  heart.  He  was  to  decide  for  Mart ;  he 
was  the  head  of  the  home  now.  Mrs.  Roberts 
waited  anxiously.  She  longed  exceedingly  to 
rouse  in  the  boy,  who  was  already  grown  to  the 
stature  of  a  man,  a  sense  of  responsibility. 

A  moment  more,  and  he  had  shaken  himself 
free  from  the  spell  which  seemed  to  bind  him; 

"  We  '11  do  as  you  say."  He  spoke  with  the  air 
of  a  man  who  had  assumed  his  proper  place 
and  taken  up  his  duties.  "Mart,  you  go  along 
with  her,  and  I  '11  see  about  things  to-mor- 
roAv." 

And  Mart,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  re- 
ceived and  obeyed  in  silence  a  direction  from 
her  brother. 

Possibly  Mrs.  Roberts  may  have  been  mis- 
taken, but  she  thought  that  much  had  been 
accomplished  that  day. 


400  Ester  Ried  ''Yet  Speaking.'' 

Yet  none  of  tlieni  realized  whereunto  this 
thino-  would  o-row. 

Mrs.  Roberts,  ^hen  she  ushered  Mart  that 
evening  into  the  pink  room  again,  and  showed 
her  how  to  manage  the  hot  and  cold  water,  and 
Avhicli  bell  to  ring  if  she  needed  anything,  and 
in  every  imaginable  waj^  treated  her  as  a  guest, 
whom  it  was  pleasant  to  serve,  had  really  no 
plans  just  then  —  no  hobby  to  ride  —  but  simply 
acted  out  the  dictates  of  her  heart.  You  will 
remember  that  her  Christian  life  had  been  always 
unconventional.  The  very  fact  that  during  her 
early  girlhood  she  had  been  painfully  tram- 
melled by  what  "  they  "  would  say  or  think, 
seemed  to  have  had  its  influence  over  her  later 
experiences.  Since  she  had  been  made  free,  she 
would  be  free,  indeed ;  that  is,  with  the  liberty 
with  which  Christ  makes  us  free.  What  would 
please  Iltm  she  resolved  should  be  the  one 
thought  to  which  she  would  give  careful  atten- 
tion. Now,  it  is  perhaps  worthy  of  mention, 
that  this  closely  following  disciple  did  not  once 
stop  to  determine  whether  it  would  please  Him  to 
give  such  tender  care  to  this  stray  child  of  His, 
or  whether  she  would  be  considered  doing  not 


''Mnj  She  go  ^vith  Mef'  401 

just  the  thing,  in  Ills  eyes,  if  she  entertained 
her  in  the  pink  room. 

Ahout  Avhat  He  ^vould  have  her  do  next,  she 
gave  much  thought.  And  it  was  not  for  days, 
or  rather  weeks,  that  she  caught  the  possibility 
of  His  meaning  that  the  pink  room  should  really 
be  the  girl's  own. 

It  was  just  this  way.  The  weeks  went  by, 
and  no  plan  for  settling  Mart  comfortably  else- 
where met  Mrs.  Roberts'  approval.  There  was 
constantly  some  excellent  reason  why  the  one 
mentioned  would  not  do. 

Meantime  they  became,  she  and  Gracie 
Dennis,  more  and  more  deeply  interested  in 
Mart.  In  her  wardrobe  first.  "  Wherever  she 
lives  she  should  have  respectable  clothing ;  thus 
much  is  easily  settled."  So  the  matron  decreed, 
and  Gracie  did  not  gainsay  it.  She  became 
absorbed  in  preparing  it.  Such  fascinating 
work !  So  many  things  Avere  needed,  and  her 
skin  was  so  delicate,  and  her  eyes  so  blue,  and 
Grade's  choice  of  shades  and  textures  fitted  her 
so  precisely.  Then,  when  dressed,  simple 
though  her  toilet  was,  her  remarkable  beauty 
shone  out  so  conspicuously  as  to  alarm   Mrs. 


402  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speaking ^ 

Roberts  whenever  she  thought  of  her  in  shop 
or  store. 

Several  times  during  the  weeks,  she  visited 
Sullie  Culkins,  and  looked  al)0ut  her  with  a 
thoughtful  air,  and  came  awav  feelins:  that  it 
would  not  do.  There  was  Mark,  growing  into 
manhood,  a  good  l)oy,  hard-working,  respecta- 
ble, proud  of  his  good,  homely  sister,  and  of 
his  reformed  father.  The  two  rooms  were  tak- 
ing on  every  sort  of  homely  comfort  that  Sallie's 
skill,  helped  by  ]\Irs.  Roberts'  suggestions, 
could  devise.  It  was  growing  into  a  •  model 
little  home  in  its  way,  but  there  was  not  a 
corner  in  it  where  Mart  would  fit. 

Then,  as  the  days  passed,  a  subtle,  fascinating 
change  began  to  come  over  ]Mart.  She  slipped 
quietly  into  certain  household  duties.  She 
showed  marvellous  skill  with  her  needle ;  such 
skill,  indeed,  that  Gracie  Dennis  said  more  than 
once:  "I'll  tell  you,  Flossy,  what  to  do  with 
her:  put  her  in  a  good  establishment,  and  let 
her  learn  the  dressmaking  trade.  She  could 
make  her  fortune  in  time."  And  Mrs.  Roberts 
smiled,  and  assented  to  the  statement,  but  not 
to  the  proposition.     There  was  no  dressmaking 


''May  She  go  icith  Me? "  403 

establishment  known  to  her  where  she  was 
willing  to  place  so  young  and  pretty  and 
ignorant  a  girl.  But  she  was  quite  willing  that 
Mart  should  learn  the  looping  of  dresses,  and 
the  fitting  of  sacks  and  collars  and  ruffles ;  and 
take  many  a  stitch  for  her,  as  well  as  for  Gracie. 
She  was  Avilling  to  have  her  do  a  dozen  little 
nameless  things  the  ways  of  domg  which  she 
had  caught  up ;  until  at  last  the  touch  of  her 
fingers  began  to  be  felt  about  the  rooms,  and 
Mrs.  Roberts  began  to  notice  that  she  should 
miss  Mart  when  she  w'ent  away.  Still,  from 
the  first  time  she  said  this,  the  thought  came 
afterward  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction,  and  it 
was  but  a  week  afterward  that  she  caught  her- 
self phrasing  it,  that  she  should  miss  her  if  she 
went  away. 

What  about  Dirk  ?  Young  Ried  could  have 
told  you  more  of  him  during  these  days  tlian 
anybody  else.  He  still  stayed  at  the  boarding- 
house.  Mrs.  Saunders,  the  mistress  of  it,  was 
one  whom,  if  you  had  known  her,  you  would 
feel  sure  could  interest  herself  heartily  in  such 
as  he.  There  was  a  bit  of  a  room  next  to 
Ried's.     To  be   sure,   it   had  been  used  for  a 


404  Bs!er  Biecr' Yet  Speaking:' 

clothes-press,  and  it  took  the  busy  housekeeper 
half  a  day  to  jnan  how  she  could  get  along 
■without  it ;  but  she  planned,  and  offered  it  to 
Ried  for  his  proteg^. 

"  Just  for  the  present,  you  know,  vuitil  he 
sees  what  he  can  do,  poor  fellow,"  she  said,  and 
Ried  accepted  the  little  room  jo3^fully,  and 
helped  fit  it  up. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"WHAT  IF   I  BELONGED?" 

OU  think  things  are  taking  very  rapid 
strides?  Well,  don't  you  know  that 
there  come  periods  when  they  do  just 
that  thing,  or  appear  to?  Why, 
even  the  buds  on  the  trees  teach  us  the  lesson. 
How  many  springtimes  have  you  gone  to  your 
bed  feeling  that  the  season  was  late,  and  the 
trees  were  bare,  and  the  fruits  would  all  be 
backward,  and  Nature  was  dawdling  along  in  a 
very  wearisome  fashion  ;  and  awakened  in  the 
mornino;  to  find  that  there  had  in  the  nio^ht  been 
a  gentle  rain,  and  a  movement  of  mysterious 
power  among  the  buds  and  the  grasses,  and  that 
now,  in  the  morning  sunshine,  the  world  had 
burst  into  bloom?  Yet,  did  you  really  suppose, 
after  all,  that  the  ivorh  was  done  in  one  night? 

There  was  progress  of  several  sorts  in  the  clhss 
at  the  South  End.  Even  a  casual  observer  could 
have  seen  a  change  in  the  boys  that  first  Sun- 

405 


406  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speahingr 

day  after  they  had  attended  Dirk's  mother  to 
the  grave.  The  dignity  of  that  hour  of  sorrow 
was  still  upon  them.  Even  the  very  reckless 
and  world-hardened  will  oiFer  a  certain  degree 
of  respect  to  death.  On  ordinary  occasions  the 
boys  might  have  been  merry  at  Dirk's  expense, 
for  they  saw  changes  in  him  ;  but  the  memory 
of  his  mother's  coffin  kept  them  silent,  and  let 
his  changed  manner  liave  its  effect. 

That  Sunday  was  full  of  small  events  to  Dirk  ; 
at  least  they  are  small  enough  when  one  puts 
them  on  paper,  though  I  admit  that  they  looked 
large  to  him.  Several  people  interested  them- 
selves in  his  welfare. 

"  Poor  fellow  !  "  said  Mrs.  Saunders,  "  I  sup- 
pose his  mother  tried  to  do  for  him.  Just  as 
likely  as  not  she  had  a  clean  shirt  for  him  of  a 
Sunday  morning." 

You  will  perceive  that  Mrs.  Saunders,  though 
all  her  life  a  resident  of  a  large  cit}',  was  not 
very  well-acquainted  Avith  the  abject,  poor.  In 
point  of  fact,  Dirk  Colson  had  had  no  extra 
clothing  for  his  mother  to  make  clean.  But 
Mrs.  Saunders,  full  of  the  motherly  thought, 
3'et  finding  no  trace  of  a  shirt  in  the  bundle  of 


"  What  if  I  belonged  9  "  407 

rags  that  Dirk  had  brought  with  him,  went 
down  one  day  into  the  depths  of  an  old  trunk, 
and  brought  to  light  and  mended  and  washed 
and  ironed  a  shirt  that  had  long  been  laid  aside. 

It  lay  in  its  purity  on  a  chair  at  the  foot  of 
Dirk's  bed  on  Sabbath  morning.  lie  lay  still 
and  looked  at  it  for  a  while,  then  arose  and  gave 
such  careful  Jittention  to  the  soap  and  water  as 
was  new  to  him,  and  arrayed  himself  in  the 
clean  linen. 

His  clothes  were  whole  and  clean.  Mr.  Rob- 
erts had  seen  to  it  that  he  went  respectably 
dressed  to  his  mother's  funeral. 

A  tap  at  his  door  a  little  later,  and  young 
Kied  appeared,  shoe-brush  and  blacking-box  in 
hand. 

"  Want  to  borrow?"  he  said,  in  the  careless 
tone  of  one  who  might, have  supposed  that  the 
blacking  of  his  boots  was  an  evcry-day  matter 
to  this  boy.  "  I  always  keep  my  own  ;  it  is 
cheaper  than  to  depend  on  the  street  boys." 

Dirk  said  nothing  at  all,  but  reached  forth 
his  hand,  and  took  the  oilercd  tools,  and  the 
hint  which  came  with  them.  When  he  went 
down  to  breakfast  his  boots  shone,  and  his  fre^^h 


408  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Sjieaking:' 

paper  collar  was  neatly  arranged  ;  altogether  he 
Avas  not  the  boy  to  whom  I  first  introduced  you. 
I  am  not  sure  that  Policeman  Duffer  would  have 
recognized  him.  A  collar  and  a  necktie  make  a 
great  difference  in  some  people's  personal  ap- 
pearance. Dirk  wondered  a  little  as  to  where 
the  box  of  paper  collars  came  from.  The  neck- 
tie he  had  just  found  Ij'ing  in  the  bottom  of  the 
box.  It  was  the  mate  of  the  one  young  Eied 
wore,  but  that  told  nothing,  for  both  were 
simple  and  plain,  and  could  be  bought  by  the 
dozens  in  any  furnishing  store. 

It  is  small  wonder  that  the  boys  in  the  class 
looked  at  him.  Nimble  Dick  wore  at  first  a 
roguish  air,  but  a  sudden  memory  of  Dirk's  face 
when  he  turned  away  from  his  mother's  grave 
came  in  time.  Open  graves  are  not  easy  things 
to  forget.  , 

Dirk  went  to  the  church  that  day  ;  went  with 
young  Ried  by  invitation,  and  sat  in  the  pew 
behind  Mr.  Roberts. 

By  the  way,  the  seat  which  he  occupied  was 
another  of  Mr.  Roberts'  peculiarities.  Three 
seats  were  rented  by  him  in  a  central  part  of  the 
larjre  church.     One  of  these  seats  he  and  his 


"  W/i(U  if  I  belonged  ?"  409 

wife  regularly  occupied.  The  others  were  almost 
as  regularly  occupied  by  the  clerks  from  the 
store  who  chose  to  make  that  their  church  home. 
Six  sittmgs  to  a  pew.  When  a  young  man 
chose,  Mr.  Roberts  was  ready  to  enter  into  a 
])usiuess  eng-agement  with  him,  whereby  the  sit- 
ting should  be  considered  his  own ;  Mr.  Rob- 
erts considering  it  to  be  no  part  of  any  one's 
concern  that  the  sum  for  which  he  thus  sub-let 
the  sittings  was  not  a  tenth  of  what  the  first 
rental  cost.  It  was  in  this  way  that  Mr.  Ried 
owned  sittings  in  the  pew  just  back  of  that  oc- 
cupied by  Mr.  Roberts  ;  and  brought  with  him 
constantl}^  one  and  another  young  man.  To- 
day the  young  man  was  Dirk  Colson. 

It  was  all  a  strange  world  to  him.  He  had  wan- 
dered into  the  gallery  of  the  Mission  Chapel, 
and  looked  do\vn  from  his  perch  on  the  crov\'d 
of  worsliippcrs  ;  but  this  morning  he  was  in  the 
very  centre  of  things,  as  if  he  were  one  of  them. 
Perhaps  it  is  not  strange  that  the  startled  in- 
quiry came  to  his  heart :  What  if  I  belonged? 
Where  did  he  belong  now?  lie  had  lost  his 
place ;  he  must  make  another.  What  if  it 
should  l)e  in  this  neighborhood,  among  these  sur- 


410  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Sneaking  r 

roundinsjs  ?  Such  Ihouahts  did  not  take  actual 
shape  to  him,  so  that  he  could  have  put  them 
into  words ;  they  merely  hovered  in  his  atmos- 
phere. Mrs.  Iloberts  sat  so  that  he  could  look 
at  her,  which  thing  he  liked  to  do.  It  hact  long 
since  been  settled  in  his  mind  that  he  had  one 
friend,  and  that  one  was  ]\Irs.  Roberts.  He 
admired  Gracie  Dennis,  too,  with  a  different 
sort  of  admiration  from  that  which  he  gave  to 
the  matron.  She  might  be  all  very  well ; 
and  she  was  a  si)lendid  reader ;  and  he  knew 
that  he  could  imitate  her  on  certain  sentences, 
at  least.  And  she  had  taught  him  to  use  the 
type-writer  —  an  accomplishment  which  he 
meant  to  perfect  himself  in  as  soon  ns  he  had  a 
chance.  In  fact,  his  ambition  reached  higiier 
than  that :  o-.e  of  these  days  he  meant  to  make 
one  of  his  own  with  certain  .improvements ! 
Who  shall  say  that  Dirk  was  not  growing? 

On  this  particular  day  there  sat  beside  Mrs. 
Iloberts  a  lady,  —  a  stranger  He  could  not 
see  her  face,  but  for  some  reason,  which  he  did 
not  understand,  Dirk  liked  to  look  at  her.  She 
suggested  something  to  him  that  seemed  like  a 
familiar  dream.     He  thought  much  about  her, 


"  What  if  I  belonged?''  411 

and  resolved  to  see  if  in  her  face  she  looked 
like  any  one  he  ever  saw.  As  she  turned  at 
the  close  of  the  service  he  was  looking  at  her 
steadily.     Lo  !  It  Avas  i\Iart. 

No ;  the  possibility  had  not  once  suggested 
itself  to  his  mind.  If  you  think  this  doul)tful, 
you  merely  show  that  you  know  nothing  about 
the  transforming  effect  of  a  becoming  dress,  no 
matter  how  simple  it  may  be.  Remember,  Dirk 
had  never  but  twice  seen  his  sister  in  a  bonnet. 
The  first  time  it  was  Sallie's,  and  though  the 
effect  was  sufficiently  startling,  yet  Sallie's  bon- 
net did  not  fit  her  face,  as  this  creation  of 
Grucie  Dennis'  fingers  did.  The  second  time 
the  bonnet  had  been  a  hideous  black  one,  prof- 
fered by  an  old  woman  who  lived  in  the  story 
above  them,  and  whose  thoughtfulness  Mrs. 
Roberts  would  not  mar  by  making  an}'  mention 
of  the  neat  one  which  she  had  brought  in  a  box 
that  day.  The  black  bonnet  had  been  like  a 
mask,  hiding  Mart's 'beauty. 

The  bonnet  that  slio  wore  now  was  not  of  that 
character.  It  told  a  wonderful  story  to  Dirk's 
astonished  gaze.  Now,  indeed,  the  likeness 
W'as  plain ;  ^vithout  doubt,  the  girl  whose  face 


412  Ester  Eied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

lighted  M'ith  ti  curious  smile  nt  sight  of  him, 
bore  a  striking  likeness  to  the  woman  who  had 
smiled  on  him  whenever  she  met  him  ! 

A  curious  effect  this  had  oii  Dirk.  There 
was  that  in  his  sister  which  made  it  possible  for 
her  to  be  something  like  the  woman  who  had 
won  his  heart ;  and  that  sister  was  in  his  care  : 
she  had  said  so ;  he  must  work  for  her,  and 
watch  over  her ! 

I  suppose  that  Sabbath  was  really  the  begin- 
ning of  the  surface  changes  in  Mrs.  Roberts' 
class.  Not  the  beginning  to  the  teacher,  but  to 
those  people  who  only  have  eyes  for  strongly 
marked  things 

I  know  that  it  was  but  a  few  weeks  afterward 
that  Mrs.  Roberts  came  home  with  such  an  un- 
usual light  in  her  eyes,  and  with  her  face  so 
full  of  brightness,  that  her  husband  said,  inquir- 
ingly :  — 

"  What  is  it,  Flossy  ?  " 

She  turned  to  him,  eageHy,  read}'^  to  laugh. 

"  It  is  what  you  will  understand,  but  a  great 
many  people  would  n't.  It  is  so  nice  that  you 
understand  things !  I  feel  just  like  saying, 
'Thank  the  Lord.'" 


"  What  if  I  belonged?''  413 

"  Do  you  mean  to  convey  the  idea  that  only  a 
very  few  favored  people  feel  like  that?  I  don't 
know  of  a  person  who  has  not  great  occasion. 
What  is  your  special  one  ?  " 

"Evan,  the  last  boy  had  his  boots  blacked, 
and  a  fresh  paper  colhir  on  !  " 

Mr.  Roberts  threw  back  his  head  and  laughed, 
—  a  genial,  hearty  laugh.  His  wife  looked  on, 
smilin*>:.  There  is  a  groat  deal  of  character  in  a 
laugh,  remember;  you  would  have  known  that 
this  Avas  a  sympathetic  one. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  entirely  capable  of  realizing 
what  this  said  to  his  wife  about  the  future  of  her 
boys.  It  was  becoming  certain  that  their  self- 
respect  was  awakened. 

A  few  days  thereaftsr  occurred  another  of 
those  little  things  -which  mark  some  characters. 

Dirk,  at  Mrs.  Saunders'  breakfast-table  on 
Sabbath  morning,  heard  talk  that  on  Monday  he 
recalled.  By  the  way,  I  should  have  told  you 
of  one  other  way  in  which  the  Sabbath  became  a 
marked  day  to  him.  He  slept  in  the  little  room 
which  opened  from  Ried's,  but  his  meals  were 
picked  up  at  a  restaurant,  as  occasion  offered,  — 
a  much  nicer  and  surer  method  of  livincr  than 


414  Ester  Hied  "  Yei  Speaking.'^ 

he  Iiiul  ever  known  heibre.  Even  the  com- 
monest restaurant  Avas  great  respectal>ility  to 
hiin.  Yet  you  will  remember  that  he  had  by 
this  time  taken  several  supi)ers  in  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts' dining-room,  lie  knew  that  there  was  a 
dilFerence  in  things  ;  in  fact,  his  experience  now 
stretclied  over  intinite  differences ;  but  the  first 
time  he  sat  down  to  Mrs.  Saunders'  breakfast- 
table,  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  he  discovered  an- 
other grade  ;  this  by  no  means  lielonged  to  the 
restaunuit  class  ?  These  Sunday  breakfasts  and 
dinners  were  some  of  ]Mrs.  Saunders'  quiet  ways 
of  helping  along  the  work  of  the  Christian 
world.  Many  a  young  man  appeared  at  her 
table  as  the  guest  of  Ried  or  of  Dr.  Everett, 
or  of  some  other  of  the  boarders,  who  was  un- 
aware that  he  owed  the  pleasant  experience  to 
the  landlady. 

Well,  Dirk  at  the  Sabbath-table  heard  talk 
of  one  General  Burton,  famous  as  a  soldier,  a 
scholar,  and  an  orator.  General  Burton  was  in 
the  city,  the  guest  of  a  prominent  man ;  he  Avas 
to  speak  on  the  following  evening  in  one  of  the 
great  halls,  and  much  eager  talk  was  had  con- 
cerning him  ;  great  desire  was  expressed  to  hear 


''What  if  I  belonged?"  415 

him,  to  o-ct  a  o-Hmpse  of  him.  Dirk  listened  in 
silence,  but  had  his  own  thoughts  about  what  it 
must  be  to  have  people  talking  about  one,  want- 
ing to  get  a  glimpse  of  one,  and  next,  what  it 
nmst  be  to  be  intimate  with  such  people.  Did 
Mrs.  Roberts  know  the  great  man?  he  wondered. 
And  then  Dirk  smiled  as  he  thought  how  queer 
it  was  that  he  should  know  Mrs.  Roberts ;  that 
he  might,  in  fact,  be  called  intimately  acquainted 
with  her ! 

Remembering  this  reverie  of  his,  you  will 
better  understand  how  he  felt  on  Monday  morn- 
ii:g,  as  he  made  his  way  in  haste  down  a  quiet 
part  of  one  of  the  up-town  streets,  intent  on  an 
errand  that  required  promptness,  to  hear  his 
name  called  by  Mrs.  Roberts. 

"  Good  morning  I  "  she  said.  "  Are  you  in 
too  ofreat  haste  to  recosrnize  your  friends?  I 
"want  to  introduce  you  to  a  friend  of  mine. 
General  Burton,  Mr.  Colson.  General,  this 
is  one  of  my  young  men,  of  whom  I  told 
you." 

Whereupon  the  famous  general,  hero  of 
many  battles,  held  out  his  honored -hand,  and 
took  Dirk's  in  a  cordial  grasp.     I  don't  suppose 


416  Ester  Bied  ''Yet  Speaking. ^^ 

I  could  explain  to  you  what  an  effect  this  action 
had  on  a  boy  like  Dirk. 

There  is  this  comfort :  you  may  be  a  student 
of  human  nature,  and  therefore  may  understand 
it  all  without  explanation. 

This  is  only  one  of  many  so-called  trifles 
which  occurred  during  the  weeks,  to  make  their 
indelible  impress  on  the  characters  of  the  boys. 

Of  course,  the  Monday  Evenings  prospered. 
Reading-lessons  and  writing-lessons,  and,  as  time 
passed,  lessons  of  all  sorts  made  good  progress. 

Neatly-blackened  boots,  carefully-arranged 
hair,  and  fresh  collars  became  the  rule  instead 
of  the  exception. 

Other  avenues  for  improvement  opened.  Tt 
became  noised  abroad  in  Christian  circles  that 
great  transformations  were  being  worked  among 
a  certain  set  of  hard  yf)ung  fellows  who  had 
hitherto  been  best  known  to  the  police.  Mr. 
Roberts  was  interviewed  by  one  and  another, 
and  one  outijrowth  of  the  talks  was  that  tickets 
for  a  course  of  expensive  and  valuable  and 
attractive  lectures  on  popular  subjects  were 
placed  in  large  numbers  in  Mr.  Roberts'  hands 
for  him  to  use  at  discretion.     Moreover,  seats 


''What  if  1  belonged?''  417 

were  rented  in  the  church  towards  which  most 
of  the  boys  gravitated  —  the  one  connected  with 
their  Mission  ;  seats  re-rented  after  Mr.  Roberts' 
plan,  so  that  as  often  as  there  appeared  a  young 
man  who  cared  to  have  a  spot  in  the  church 
M'hich  belonged  to  him,  it  could  be  had  for  a 
very  small  sum  ;  in  fact,  as  pews  rented  in  that 
church,  a  ridiculously  small  sum. 

These  are  only  hints  of  the  channels  which 
time  and  patience  and  thought  opened  for  these 
young  men,  on  whom,  but  a  short  time  before, 
Satan  believed  himself  to  have  so  firm  a  grip. 

One  feature  of  the  "  Monday  Evenings  "  had, 
in  the  course  of  time,  to  be  changed.  The 
young  teacher  of  elocution  went  home. 

"I  want  to  go,"  she  said  at  last,  in  answer  to 
her  hostess'  pleading.  "  I  think  it  quite  likely 
that  papa  would  let  me  stay  and  attend  school 
here ;  but  I  am  in  haste  to  get  home.  You 
need  not  look  sober.  Flossy.  I  have  had  a 
happier  time  than  I  have  ever  had  in  my  life 
before  ;  and  I  have  found  here  a  sort  of  happi- 
ness that  will  last.  It  almost  breaks  my  heart 
to  think  of  leaving  those  boys,  —  especially  my 
dear  Dick  Bolton ;    but   really,  I  need  to  go 


418  Ester  Hied  "  Yet  Speaking  ^ 

home  and  undo  certain  things  that  I  left  badly 
done.  You  don't  half  know  rae,  Flossy  Ship- 
ley. AVhen  I  came  here  I  was  a  regular  goose. 
If  j'ou  had  known  what  a  simpleton  I  was,  and 
how  hateful  I  had  been  about  some  thinc^s  at 
home,  you  would  never  have  invited  me. 

"  Among  other  things  that  were  hateful  about 
me,  I  was  a  real  horror  to  my  mother.  I 
thought  I  had  reason  to  distrust  and  dislike  her ; 
when  the  truth  is  that  I  have  cause  to  ijjo  down 
on  my  knees  and  thank  her  for  keeping  me  from 
some  things.  I  'm  in  a  real  hurry  to  get  home, 
and  show  that  young  mother  of  mine  what  a 
perfectly  angelic  daughter  I  can  be." 

And  Mrs.  Roberts  smiled  and  kept  her  own 
counsel ;  and  this  was  all  that  she  was  supposed 
to  know  about  her  young  guest.  She  never 
knew  the  whole  story  about  Professor  Ellis ; 
though  there  was  a  girl,  Hester  Mason  by  name, 
in  Dr.  Everett's  Sabbath-school,  who  could  have 
told  her  a  good  deal  about  him,  and  about 
Grade  Dennis'  helping  to  break  the  net  that 
Satan  had  woven  for  her  unwary  feet.  The  fact 
is,  there  is  a  great  deal  concerning  all  these 
people — Hester  Mason   and   Dr.  Everett   and 


"  What  if  I  belonged?  "  419 

Joy  Saunders  and  Joy  Saunders'  mother  — 
which  I  should  have  liked  to  tell  you  if  I  could 
have  found  room.  You  may  read  of  them  any 
time,  however,  if  you  choose,  in  a  book  called 
"An  Endless  Chain."  Of  course,  the  story  of 
their  lives  does  not  end  even  there,  because  the 
chain  is,  as  I  said,  endless;  but  there  are  many 
of  the  links  presented  to  view. 

So  Grace  Dennis  went  home.  And  neither 
then,  nor  afterward,  did  INIrs.  Roberts  hear  in 
detail  the  story  of  Professor  Ellis.  What  mat- 
ter? She  had,  hoAvever,  a  short  added  chapter. 
It  came  in  a  letter  from  jVIrs.  IVIarion  Dennis  not 
lonsr  after  Grade's  return.     It  read  thus  :  ■^— 

o 

Oh,  Flossy  Shipley  Robei-ts!  blessed  little  sclieniing 
saint  that  you  ai'e!  What  did  j^ou  do?  How  did  you  do 
it!  Ah!  I  know  more  about  it  than  those  sentences 
would  indicate.  The  dear  Lord  did  it,  working  through 
you.  His  servant.  He  has  called  our  Grade  to  higher 
ground,  filled  her  heart  with  that  which  has  made  insig- 
nificant things  take  their  true  place,  and  wrong  things 
show  for  what  they  are. 

You  know,  of  course,  that  it  is  all  right  about  Professor 
Ellis  ;  — or  no!  I  fear  it  is  all  wrong  about  him,  but  right 
with  our  Gracie.  I  hear  that  he  has  permanently  located 
in  your  city.  Perhaps  your  Clu-istian  charity  can  I'each 
him.  He  sent  Gracie  a  letter,  trying  to  explain  certain 
afftiirs  about  that  Mason  girl,  with  which  I  presume 
you  are  fiimiliar.  She  sliowed  mo  the  letter  and  her 
answer.     He  will  not  write  her  another! 


420  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking.'' 

"  /  don't  know  any  Mason  girl,"  said  INIrs. 
Roberts  to  her  husband,  "  but  it  does  n't  matter. 
I  don't  want  to  know  the  story  if  there  is 
nothing  to  be  done  thfough  it.  There  are  stories 
enough  that  one  must  know." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

"  IT  IS  NO  MADE-UP  AFFAIR." 

T  was  Monday  evening,  and  there 
was  company  at  Mr.  Roberts'  home  ; 
not  the  usual  Monday  evening  gath- 
ering, but  quite  a  large  party  of  well- 
dressed  men  and  women,  many  of  them  young, 
yet  some  were  middle-aged.  The  pretty  room 
opposite  the  conservatory  was  thrown  open,  and 
aglow  with  lights  and  flowers  ;  and  groups  were 
continually  passing  in  and  out,  admiring  the 
paintings  and  the  flowers,  and  the  type-writers 
of  different  patterns,  and  the  books  and  maga- 
zines, of  which  there  were  many.  But  interest 
was  not  confined  to  this  room.  The  parlors 
were  thrown  open  and  the  music-room  beyond  ; 
even  the  cosy  little  library  was  public  property 
for  this  one  evening.  The  company  was  large, 
and  their  tastes  were  varied ;  so  no  pains  had 
been  spared  to  give  them  variety. 

You  are  acquainted  with  quite  a  number  of 

421 


422  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speaking r 

the  guests  ;  yet  I  am  l>y  no  means  sure  that  you 
would  reeopfnize  them  all.  Even  in  so  short  a 
period  of  time  as  three  years,  greatch  anges 
may  be  effected. 

For  instance,  do  you  know  the  young  man  in 
unnoticeable,  and  therefore  appropriate,  evening 
dress,  Avho  is  doing  duty  at  the  piano,  watching 
with  practised  ejQ  the  course  of  the  player,  and 
turning  the  leaf  with  skilful  hand  at  just  the 
right  moment  ?  It  is  a  somewhat  embarrassing 
position  ;  but  his  manner  leads  you  to  suppose 
that  he  has  been  accustomed  to  it  all  his  life, 
and  that  he  reads  music  well.  In  the  latter 
belief  you  are  correct ;  but  as  to  being  accus- 
tomed to  it  —  three  years  ago  Nimble  Dick 
could  have  told  you  a  different  story  I 

You  can't  believe  that  it  is  he?  I  do  not 
wonder.  The  change  is  certainly  a  great  one ; 
but  he  does  not  feel  it.  To  tell  you  the  truth, 
he  almost  forgets,  when  he  becomes  absorbed  in 
his  work,  that  this  sort  of  society  was  not 
always  open  to  him.  Three  years  means  a  long 
time  to  the  young ;  and  Richard  Bolton  has  so 
long  been  accustomed  to  the  freedom  of  ]\Irs. 
Roberts'    parlors,   and   to    the    sort    of    people 


"/«  IS  no  Made-up  Affair:'  423 

whom  one  finds  there,  that  none  of  the  refine- 
ments of  polite  life  are  strange  to  him ;  and  as 
to  turning  music,  has  he  not  done  it  for  his 
hostess  numberless  times? 

If  your  eyes  are  now  opened,  it  is  possible 
that  you  may  be  trying  to  spy  out  other  young 
men.  The  rooms  are  full  of  them,  elegantly- 
dressed,  fashionable  3'oung  men  ;  but  a  few  are 
noticeable  by  the  air  which  they  have  of  being 
in  a  sense  responsible  for  the  comfort  of  the 
others.  They  are  on  the  alert ;  they  are  taking 
care  that  no  young  guest  shall  appear  for  a 
moment  to  be  forgotten  or  neglected.  They 
appear  to  be  entirely  familiar  with  the  house 
and  all  its  appointments.  They  can  be  appealed 
to  for  a  glass  of  water  or  an  ice,  or  to  know 
what  special  scene  this  landscape  hanging  over 
the  mantel  represents,  or  whose  bust  this  is  in 
the  niche  at  the  left,  or  in  what  portion  of  the 
library  a  certain  book  will  be  found,  or  from 
what  part  of  the  foreign  world  that  strangely- 
shaped  shell  came,  and  they  are  all  equally  at 
home.  In  short,  it  is  like  having  a  dozen  or 
tAventy  young  hosts  to  look  after  j^our  comfort 
and  pleasure.     In  point  of  fact,  there  are  seven- 


424  Ester  Rled  "Yet  Speaking:' 

teen  of  them.  The  origintil  seven  h:is  thus 
increased.  Two  months  ago  there  were  twent}', 
but  one  has  secured  an  appointment  as  telegraph 
operator  in  a  distant  city,  and  as  Stephen 
Crowley  occupies  a  similar  position  in  one  of 
the  offices  in  this  city,  some  very  interesting 
conversations  are  held,  and  many  important 
items  connected  with  the  "  Monday  Evenings " 
and  the  South  End  School  and  the  "  Library 
Association,"  etc.,  are  transmitted  when  the 
lines  are  not  otherwise  employed.  Young 
Haskell,  too,  has  gone  with  one  of  the  partners 
from  the  store  Avhere  he  was  tirst  employed,  to 
set  up  a  branch  store  in  a  not  distant  town ; 
and  his  old  Sabbath -school  teacher  has  already 
received  letters  from  him,  saying  that  they  have 
started  a  branch  Sunday-school  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town,  and  that  he  has  picked  seven 
little  wretches  out  of  the  streets,  from  eight  to 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  gone  to  work.  "And, 
dear  Mrs.  Roberts,  I  wish  you  would  pray  for 
me,  that  I  may  be  able  to  bring  every  one  of 
them  to  Christ." 

So  the  letter  ran ;  and  that  tells  volumes  to 
the  initiated  about  young  Haskell. 


^' It  is  no  Made-up  Affair.^''  425 

But  although  the  changes  among  these  young 
men  have  been  great  almost  to  bewilderment, 
only  one  of  the  number  has  been  promoted  to  a 
dazzling  height.  The  others  are  without  ex- 
ception earning  good,  honest  livings  for  them- 
selves ;  securing  good,  substantial  educations 
through  the  evcnino-  classes  which  have  grown 
out  of  that  first  effort ;  bidding  fair  to  become 
leading  and  honored  citizens  when  they  actually 
take  their  places  as  men.  But  Mark  Calkins, 
faithful,  plodding,  good-hearted,  patient  Mark, 
has  surpassed  them  all !  The  truth  is,  "  that  eye 
hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  hath  entered 
into  the  heart,"  what  sort  of  magnificence  sur- 
rounds him  now.  He  has  gone  to  court.  The 
chief  lluler  of  the  realm  has  sent  for  Mark  to 
be  always  in  his  immediate  presence  in  the 
palace  ;  and  with  what  joy  he  went  I  cannot  tell 
you.  Nor  how  often  they  speak  of  him,  and 
try  to  let  their  hearts  conceive  of  the  glory 
"which  surrounds  him,  and  dwell  on  the  day 
when  they  will  be  called,  one  after  another,  to 
share  the  same  glory ;  for  this  is  the  ambition 
of  more  than  half  of  them. 

Now,  in  that  sentence  is  unveiled  the  most 


426  Ester  Ried  "Yet  Speaking" 

curious  part  of  mv  curious  story  ;  and  that  it  i? 
curious,  I  frankly  admit.  It  is  no  made-up 
afliiir.  I  am  not  responsible  for  the  strangeness 
of  it.  You  are  to  remember  that  "  truth  is 
stranger  than  fiction,"  and  then  to  understand 
that  I  am  telling  you  the  truth.  It  is,  then,  a 
fact,  that  these  young  men  have  each  received 
conditional  appointments  to  serve  in  the  palace, 
high  in  power  and  splendor  and  dignity.  The 
conditions  are  that  they  are  to  be  willing  to  be 
guided  in  all  things  by  the  will  of  their  King, 
whom  they  each  admit  to  be  wise  above  all  wis- 
dom, and  to  be  kind  above  all  their  conceptions 
of  kindness.  It  is  true  that  nine  of  the  number 
have  accepted  their  appointments,  donned  their 
uniform,  assumed  their  positions  as  He  has 
directed,  and  are  waiting  for  the  summons  to 
appear  in  person  at  court.  It  is  also  true  that 
the  others  are  still  in  a  state  of  indecision ; 
they  do  not  know  whether  to  accept  the  ap- 
pointment or  not.  It  is  true  that  they  feel 
themselves  honored ;  that  they  believe  this  to 
be  the  only  path  of  honorable  and  safe  promo- 
tion. It  is  true  that  they  have  full  faith  in  those 
who  will  tell  with  joy,  that,   having  enlisted, 


''It  is  no  Made-up  Affiir/'  427 

they  find  the  service  even  in  this  ante-room 
sweet,  and  the  rewards  great.  It  is  true  that 
they  severally  visited  Mark,  just  as  the  door 
was  opening-  to  admit  him  to  the  pahice,  and 
heard  him  speak  of  the  glimpses  of  its  glory, 
and  heard  that  his  last  words  before  he  went 
away  were,  "  Oh,  mine  eyes  see  the  King  in  his 
beauty !  "  and  that  his  voice  was  jubilant  as 
that  of  a  conqueror,  and  his  face  radiant  as 
with  a  reflection  of  unseen  glory ;  and  yet  they 
hesitate,  and  dally  with  the  call,  and  mean, 
some  time,  to  have  such  an  inheritance  deeded 
to  them,  but  not  now  !  Remember,  I  am  not 
responsible  for  this.  Were  I  writing  fiction  I 
should  hesitate  to  set  down  such  idiotic  folly, 
expecting  you  to  call  it  unnatural  or  absurdly 
overdrawn ;  but  I  do  solemnly  declare  to  you 
that  this  is  fact.  Account  for  the  folly  of  their 
behavior  as  best  you  can. 

Well,  Sallie  and  her  father  are  left  behind. 
But,  mind  you,  they  are  not  among  the  doubt- 
ful ones.  They  both  as  much  expect  to  serve 
at  court  as  they  expect  to  live  through  all  eter- 
nity. But  while  they  wait  they  are  busy. 
They  have  moved  from  the  alley  ;  the  surround- 


428  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

ings  Avere  not  such  as  they  liked.  Did  you 
notice  that  bit  of  a  house  standing  modestly 
back  from  the  road,  at  the  further  corner  of 
those  ample  grouuds  that  surround  the  South 
End  Church  ?  It  is  the  sexton's  house,  and  that 
church,  and  those  Sunday-school  rooms,  and 
those  grounds,  and  everything  pertaining  to 
them,  are  under  his  care.  The  father  is  the 
sexton,  it  is  true,  and  attends  the  furnace  and 
rings  the  bell ;  but  it  is  Sallie's  care  that  keeps 
seat  and  desk  and  window  so  beautifully  free 
from  dust  or  stain.  Oh,  they  live  busy  lives, 
and  happy  ones.  Sallie  trusted  not  in  vain  in 
her  father's  promise  that  night,  when  he  put  his 
weak  -will  into  the  pledge  ;  but  you  are  to  under- 
stand that  it  was  but  a  few  days  thereafter  when 
he  planted  his  weak  and  wavering  .feet  on  the 
llock  of  Ages.  Then  did  Satan  an<?le  for  him 
in  vain. 

So,  on  this  Monday  evening,  there  were  but 
seventeen  at  the  gathering.  I  hesitate  over 
what  to  name  the  gathering.  I  would  call  it  a 
party,  but  that  in  many  respects  it  was  so  totally 
different  from  anything  with  which  you  are 
probably  acquainted  by  that  name. 


''It  is  no  3Iade-wp  Affair."  429 

The  young  man  who  stands  hy  the  door  of  the 
conserviitoiy ,  eagerly  describing  to  Miss  Hender- 
son a  rare  and  curious  flower,  which  has  been 
sent  to  Mrs.  Roberts  from  California,  is  "black 
Dirk."  Really,  I  hope  you  are  sufficiently  aston- 
ished ;  for  he  looks  so  utterly  unlike  the  scamp 
who  used  to  be  the  special  torment  of  the  South 
End  Mission  that  I  should  be  disappointed  if 
you  were  not  impressed  by  it.  "Mr.  Colson" 
almost  everybody  calls  him  now.  The  name 
has  long  since  lost  its  strangeness.  He  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  great  firm  of  Bostwick,  Smythe, 
Roberts  &  Co.,  and  although  Mr.  Roberts  has 
never  found  it  convenient  to  do  so  before,  there 
were  reasons  why  he  thought  it  would  be  well 
to  have  a  clerk  within  call ;  so  Mr.  Colson 
boards  Avith  what  was  the  junior  partner  of  the 
firm.  He  is  so  no  more,  by  the  way,  for  Mr. 
Ried  has  been  received  as  a  member,  and  is  de- 
cidedly a  junior  partner.  Probably  Mr.  Rob- 
erts could  tell  you,  if  he  chose,  w^hy  one  so 
young,  and  without  capital,  had  been  elected  to 
partnership  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  he  keeps  his  own 
counsel,  only  remarking  that  the  young  man 
developed  remarkable  business  faculties  which 


430  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

■were  patent  to  the  whole  firm.  To  his  wife  he 
said  :  — 

"  I  tell  you,  Flossy,  I  believe  a  consecrated 
life  will  be  honored  by  the  Lord,  in  Avhatever 
channel  he  gives  it  talents  to  develop.  '  What- 
soever he  doth  shall  pr6sper.'  That  young  man 
is  o^oino^  to  have  a  career  in  business.  I  should  n't 
be  surprised  if  the  Master  meant  him  to  show 
the  world  how  a  Christian  can  use  money  to  his 
glory." 

It  is  early  yet  to  prophesy  what  Mr.  Colson 
will  do.  Doubtless  he  will  be  a  merchant ;  cer- 
tainly he  will  be  a  Christian  ;  possibly  he  will  be 
an  orator,  of  whom  the  w^orld  will  yet  hear,  — 
a  temperance  orator,  for  instance.  I  know  you 
would  like  to  hear  him  read  a  poem.  He  is  not 
confined  to  Will  Carleton's  style  now,  though 
he  still  reads  with  power  some  of  those  inimitable 
delineations  of  life  ;  but  Graeie  Dennis  offers  no 
more  criticisms  when  he  reads.  In  fact,  I  have 
heard  her  defer  to  him,  when  a  question  arose, 
as  one  who  had  prol:)abl3'  studied  the  passage, 
and  caught  its  best.  I  am  Avillins:  to  confess 
that  my  poor  black  Dirk  was  a  bit  of  a  genius. 
The  thought  I  desire  you  to  catch  is  that  so 


''It  is.  no  Made-up  Affair."  431 

many  of  those  poor  fellows,  who  of  necessity 
live  by  their  wits  in  the  city  slums,  are  diamonds 
which  could  be  fitted  to  shine.  You  take  a 
diamond  and  throw  it  down  in  the  dirt  and 
filth,  and  put  your  foot  on  it  and  grind  it  in, 
and  leave  it  there,  sinking  and  soiling,  day 
after  day,  year  after  year,  and  when  somebody 
comes  along  and  picks  it  out,  how  much  will 
it  gleam  for  him  at  first  ?  Yet  the  diamond  is 
there. 

"  Thou  shalt  be  a  royal  diadem  in  the  hand  of 
thy  God."  Mrs.  Eolierts  had  been  at  work 
hunting  diamonds  for  His  diadem. 

As  Mr.  Colson  stood  there  chatting  freely 
Avith  Miss  Henderson,  there  was  nothins:  about 
the  association  that  looked  incongruous,  neither 
did  it  occur  to  any.  There  was  not  a  trace  of 
embarrassment  about  this  boy  from  the  slums  ; 
he  had  forgotten  the  slums,  and  stood  talkino; 
with  one  of  the  aristocrats  of  the  city. 

How  came  she  to  talk  with  him,  to  allow  her- 
self to  be  entertained  by  him  ?  Let  me  tell  you ; 
thereby  hangs  a  tale.  Some  time  before  this 
evening — in  fact,  nearly  two  years  before  — 
Mrs.  Roberts  had  come  to  a  puzzle,  and  stood 


432  Ester  Bied  "  Yet  Speaking:' 

and   looked  .it  it  doubtfully.     Then  she   pre- 
sented it  to  the  others  :  — 

"  They  are  growing  easy  in  their  manners  with 
me  ;  learning  to  he  gentlemimly  without  embar- 
rassment, and  thoughtful  over  little  things  with- 
out being  ashamed  of  it ;  but  I  am  afraid  that 
with  other  ladies  they  would  be  sadly  frightened 
and  awkward.  When  Mrs.  Delancy  came  in 
this  evening  I  could  but  notice  how  utterly 
silent  Mr.  Colson  became  ;  he  had  been  talking 
well  before.  It  seems  as  though  there  was  a 
great  gulf  between  them  and  social  advance- 
ment.    How  can  we  bridge  it?  " 

Then  young  Ried  ventured  his  thought :  — 
"  My  sister  Ester  had  a  class  in  the  Center 
Street  Sabbath-school  —  nice  little  girls,  who 
wore  pretty  dresses,  and  had  their  hair  curled, 
and  came  from  the  best  families.  After  she 
was  taken  sick,  she  told  me  one  of  her  regrets 
was  that  she  had  not  stayed  well  long  enough 
to  try  a  plan  which  she  had.  She  meant  to  take 
a  class  of  rough  little  boys  in  the  mission-school, 
and  she  meant  to  ask  the  mothers  of  the  little 
girls  to  let  them  come,  once  a  month,  and  play 
with  the  little  boys  from  the  streets  —  she  to 


''It  is  no  Made-up  Affair"  433 

play  with  them,  and  watch  over  them  every 
moment ;  but  to  try  to  interest  the  girls  iu 
teaching  the  boys  gentleness  and  good  manners. 
I  don't  know  how  it  would  have  worked. 
Ester  was  never  well  enough  to  undertake  it ; 
nor  could  she  seem  to  enlist  any  one  else  in  such 
service.  It  has  grave  objections,  I  suppose  ;  but 
I  have  alwavs  thought  that  I  should  like  to  see 
something  of  the  kind  carefully  tried." 

Mrs.  Roberts,  before  this  little  story  was  half- 
concluded,  had  turned  those  eager  eyes  of  hers 
on  the  speaker  —  eyes  that  always  had  a  pecu- 
liar light  in  them  whenever  her  soul  took  in  a 
new  suggestion. 

"Thank  you,"  she  said.  "I  see,  oh!  a 
great  many  things.  I  ought  to  have  called  in 
that  dear  sister  Ester  to  help  on  this  phase  of 
the  question  before.  It  has  always  seemed  to 
me  as  though  we  were  doing  her  work." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"THEIR  WORKS  DO  FOLLOW  THEM." 

HAT  was  the  bcjrimiiiif!:  of  a  new  effort. 
There  were  certain  A^ounsr  ladies  be- 
comino;  M^ell-known  to  Mrs.  Roberts, 
by  reason   of  a   similarity   of   tastes 
which  drew  them  to  her. 

She  sat  down  one  day  and  wrote  out  their 
names  with  great  care  on  her  tablets. 

Miss  Henderson's  name  headed  the  list.  She 
was  one  of  the  aristocrats.  I  use  the  word  in 
its  highest  sense.  The  accidents  of  wealth  and 
position  were  hers ;  at  least,  that  is  the  Avay  we 
talk,  though  I  suppose  we  all  believe  that  the 
Lord  is  the  giver  of  both,  and  will  require  an 
account  of  the  same  at  our  hands. 

If  this  be  so,  Miss  Henderson  will  be  more 
ready  than  some  with  her  rendering ;  for  she  is 
of  royal  blood,  and  guards  well  the  honor  of 
the  Christian  name  she  bears. 

434 


**  Their  Works  do  follow  TJiem.^       435 

Without  hesitation,  Miss  Henderson  headed 
the  list.  The  others  were  chosen  more  slowly; 
ten  of  them,  picked  soldiers,  to  do  special  duty 
"in  His  name." 

It  required  much  explanation,  much  care  to 
plan  wisely. 

But  the  ofirls  cauoht  at  the  idea. 

In  the  course  of  weeks  they  formed  a  band, 
with  jNIiss  Henderson  for  president.  Ostensibly 
they  were  a  literary  society ;  really  they  were 
diamond  polishers. 

They  met  one  evening  by  invitation,  Avith 
Mrs.  Roberts,  and  made  the  acquaintance  of  the 
"Monday  Club."  They  sang  for  them,  read  for 
them,  heard  them  read;  chatted  with  them  on 
the  various  topics  of  the  hour,  the  last  lecture 
of  the  course,  which  all  had  attended  ;  a  certtiin 
book  carefully  read  and  criticised  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Roberts  and  Dr.  Everett  in  the  Monday 
Club,  —  not  so  carefully  read  by  the  young 
ladies ;  therefore,  it  came  to  pass  that  they  were 
somewhat  worsted  in  an  argument  concerning 
it,  which  was  bad  neither  for  the  young  ladies 
nor  the  Monday  Club. 

Finally,  they  were  taken  out  to  supper  by 


436  Ester  Hied  "Yet  Sjjeaking .'* 

these  young  men,  who  had  so  far  come  under 
IMrs.  Roberts'  influence  thiit  they  "were  Avilling 
to  endure  torture  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  her. 

It  is  a  lonsr  storv.  I  could  write  another  book 
about  it  just  as  well  as  not. 

The  main  difllculty  would  be  that  the  critics 
would  pronounce  the  story  overdrawn.  They 
always  do  when  one  revels  in  facts.  It  is  only 
when  an  author  keeps  within  the  range  of  sober 
fiction  that  he  may  feel  comparatively  safe  from 
this  charge. 

These  young  ladies  represented  other  parlors 
and  other  dining-rooms.  They  arranged  for 
little  graceful  entertainments,  to  which  the 
Monday  Club  Avas  invited.  Gradually  others 
were  invited  too  —  good,  solid  men,  and  wise- 
hearted,  motherly  women.  The  invitations  were 
select,  the  "polishers"  were  chosen  with  care; 
but  it  was  surprising  to  these  workers  to  find 
how  large  the  Christian  world  is,  and  how 
many  stood  ready  to  help  if  they  were  shown 
how. 

"It  is  one  of  the  best  suggestions  that  that 
dear  Ester  has  given  us."  This  Mrs.  Eoberts 
said  one  evening  when  the  Young  Ladies'  Band 


"  Their  Works  do  follow  Tliemr      437 

and  the  Monday  Club  combined  their  forces  and 
gave  an  entertainment  to  some  of  the  best  people 
on  the  avenue. 

I  have  given  you  hints  of  how  they  did  it. 
The}^  were  every  one  Christians,  these  young 
ladies  ;  none  others  were  chosen.  They  worked 
with  a  single  aim  in  view  — His  glory.  They 
took  no  step  that  was  not  paved  wit4i  prayer. 
Do  3^ou  need  to  be  told  that  they  succeeded? 

This  was  one  of  the  reasons  why  Mr.  Colson 
chatted  with  Miss  Henderson  with  perfect  free- 
dom, and  why  his  bow  was  graceful  and  easy 
when  she  introduced  him  to  her  friend  Miss 
Fanshawe,  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  accustomed 
to  being  introduced  to  her  friends. 

I  'm  sure  I  hope  you  wish  I  would  tell  you 
somewhat  of  Mart  Colson.  If  you  are  not 
deeply  interested  in  her  I  am  disappointed  in 
you.  She  has  been  such  an  object  of  interest 
to  me  since  that  time  when  I  caught  a  glimpse 
of  her  once  through  the  cellar  window,  with  a 
ffleam  of  sunset  making  her  hair  into  gold. 

It  is  a  summer  evening  of  which  I  tell  you, 
and  she  is  all  in  white  —  except  her  eyes ; 
nothing  can  be  bluer  than  they  are  to-night,  — 


438  Ester  Ried  ''  Yet  Speaking:' 

and  except  the  flowers  about  her.  She  is  always 
among  the  flowers.     , 

I  hesitate,  after  all,  to  tell  you  about  Mart. 
Hers  is  one  of  those  stories  hard  to  tell.  Be- 
sides, her  friend  and  patron  has  suffered  much 
criticism  because  of  her,  and  though  Mrs. 
Roberts  does  not  care  in  the  least,  I  find  that  I 
am  sensitive. 

"Has  she  really  kept  that  Colson  girl  wdth 
her  all  these  years?  "  Yes,  she  has.  I  speak  it 
meekly,  but  she  has !  "  And  never  had  her 
learn  a  trade,  or  work  in  a  factory,  or  learn  to 
support  herself  in  any  way?"  She  has  never 
sent  her  anywhere  to  learn  a  trade  or  to  woi'k 
in  a  factory  or  to  stand  behind  a  counter.  It 
is  too  true. 

No,  I  was  almost  sure  you  did  not  approve  of 
it.  But,  for  all  that,  I  don't  mean  to  argue 
Mm.  Roberts'  cause.  "  To  her  own  Master  she 
standeth  or  falleth." 

Not  but  what  Mrs.  Rol)erts  has  argued,  on 
occasion,  — with  Gracie  Dennis,  for  instance, 
who  paid  her  a  few  weeks'  visit,  less  than  three 
months  after  she  first  went  home. 

"Flossy,"   she   would   say,    "what   are   you 


''■  Their  Works  do  follow  Tliem."        439 

going  to  do  with  the  girl  ?  Do  you  really  mean 
to  keep  her  here  ?  " 

"  She  has  no  mother,  my  child,  nor  father ; 
and  her  brother  is  not  able  to  care  for  her  yet. 
AVhere  would  you  have  me  send  her  ?  " 

"  Why,  Flossy,  there  are  places." 

"Yes,  my  dear,  I  know  it,  and  this  is  one  of 
them." 

"Well,  but  vshe  ou^-ht  to  be  learnins:  thinsfs. 
How  is  she  going  to  support  herself?" 

"  She  is  studying  arithmetic  with  me,  you  know, 
and  writinof  and  readins;  with  the  dininij-room 
girls  ;  and  I  am  teachmg  her  music,  and  Mr. 
Roberts  proposes  to  have  her  join  the  history 
class  as  soon  as  she  is  sufficiently  advanced  in  the 
more  common  studies." 

"  But,  Flossy  Shipley,  that  is  great  nonsense  ! 
You  know  what  I  mean.  You  cannot  turn  the 
world  upside  down  in  that  fashion,  or  make  an 
orphan  asylum  of  your  house  or  a  charity  school." 

"JNIy  dear,  do  you  really  think  the  house  is  in 
danger  ?  Does  it  look  like  an  orphan  asylum  or 
feel  like  a  charity  school?" 

Then  would  Gracie  Dennis  laugh,  but  look 
a  trifle  vexed,  nevertheless,   and   mutter    that 


4  iO  Ester  Ricd  "  Yet  Spealin^:' 

people  could  n't  do  things  that  way  in  this 
■world. 

Then  would  Flossy  be  ready  with  her  gentle 
drops  of  oil  to  soothe  the  ruffles. 

"  Gracie,  dear,  I  am  not  trying  to  reform  the 
world.  There  are  a  great  many  girls  left  desti- 
tute I  know,  and  I  will  do  at  wholesale  all  I 
can  for  them ;  but  this  one  is  peculiar.  You 
have  admitted  that  it  Avas  muisual  to  see  such 
dangerous  beauty,  and  she  is  unusual  in  her 
mental  development.  She  could  be  fierce  and 
wicked  ;  she  is  ignorant  and  bitter  about  many 
things ;  I  am  afraid  for  her.  I  have  not  been 
able  to  think  of  a  place  where  the  Lord  Jesus 
would  have  me  take  her.  I  must  see  to  it  that 
He  is  pleased,  you  know,  at  all  hazards.  If  He 
does  not  mean  us  to  keep  her  in  the  shelter  of 
our  home  for  the  present,  we  do  not  know 
what  He  means. 

"  We  cannot '  mother '  the  whole  race  ;  He  has 
not  even  suggested  it  to  our  hearts.  He  has 
simply  said, '  Here,  take  this  one  ;  there  is  room 
for  her ;  keep  her  until  I  plainly  tell  you  that  her 
place  is  elsewhere.'  Gracie,  would  you  have  me 
tell  Him  we  cannot  ?  " 


"  riieir  Worlcs  do  follow  Themr        441 

By  this  time  Gracie  would  be  humble  and 
sweet. 

"It  is  very  good  of  3'ou,"  she  would  say, 
meekly,  "  and  I  was  not  thinking  of  such  a  thing 
as  finding  fault.  I  was  only  wondering  whether 
—  whether  —  w^ell,  you  know — whether  such  a 
life  as  she  is  leading  in  your  house  w^ould  not 
unfit  her  for  her  proper  sphere  ? " 

But  a  sentence  like  that  was  always  liable  to 
put  little  Mrs.  Roberts  on  all  the  dignity  she 
possessed.  Her  husband  had  ideas  on  that  sub- 
ject, and  had  imbued  her  with  them.  Her 
voice  could  even  sound  almost  haughty  as  she 
said  :  — 

"As  to  that,  Gracie,  we  must  remember  that 
the  'sphere'  of  an  American  woman  is  the  one 
that  she  can  fill  acceptably  in  God's  sight.  He 
may  call  her  to  the  highest ;  I  don't  know. 
Since  she  is  the  daughter  of  a  King,  there  may 
be  no  spot  on  His  footstool  too  high  for  His 
intentions  concerning  her." 

There  was  outside  criticism,  of  course.  In- 
deed, Mrs.  Roberts  was  sufficiently  peculiar  in 
many  respects  to  call  for  much  criticism  from 
the    world.       They   talked    much   about  "that 


442  Ester  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking. '' 

girl  "  she  had  picked  up.  Gradually  they  said 
'  that  Colson  girl " ;  then  one  day  some  daugh- 
ter asked,  "  Is  she  really  a  sister  of  that  hand- 
some jNIr.  Colson  in  the  store  ?  "  And  by-and- 
by  there  were  some  who  spoke  of  her  as  "]Mattie 
Colson."  That  was  the  name  which  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts always  called  her.  It  began  gradually  to  be 
known  also  that  "  Mattie  Colson  "  knew  a  great 
deal  which  was  worth  knowing.  Three  years 
of  companionship  with  a  lady  like  Mrs.  Roberts, 
and  such  as  she  gathers  about  her,  can  do  much 
for  a  girl  who  wishes  much  done  for  her. 

As  to  "  earnin":  her  living,"  I  am  not  sure  but 
she  was  learning  to  do  it  in  several  ways.  Mrs. 
Roberts  struo'ffled  ao-ainst  all  false  ideas  of  life, 
therefore  taught  her  none. 

She  was  not  the  cook,  but  she  could,  and 
had  on  occasion,  served  up  a  most  enjoyable 
breakfast. 

She  Avas  not  the  second-girl,  yet  her  fingers 
were  undeniably  skilful  in  the  arrangement  of 
rooms  and  tables.  She  was  not  the  sewing- 
girl,  yet  constant  were  the  calls  on  fingers  that 
had  become  wise  in  these  directions.  She  was 
by  no  means  the  nurse,  yet  there  was  a  little 


"  Tlieir  Works  do  follow  Them."       443 

golden-Ii'.nred  "Flossy"  in  the  sunny  room  up- 
stairs whose  devoted  slave  she  was,  and  whose 
mother  felt  that  Mattie's  loving,  watchful  care 
over  her  darling  w^as  only  second  to  her  own, 
and  was  so  to  be  relied  upon,  by  day  and 
night,  as  to  repay  tenfold  whatever  she  might 
have  done  for  the  girl. 

In  fact,  it  would  perhaps  be  difficult  to  define 
"  Mart "  Colson's  position  in  the  house.  Yet 
she  was,  as  I  said,  becomins:  known  amona:  the 
young  ladies  outside  as  "  Mattie  Colson,  that 
handsome  young  Colson's  sister ;  as  pretty  as  a 
doll,  and  a  protSge  of  that  lovely  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts, you  know."  As  for  the  Young  Ladies' 
Band,  —  I  do  not  include  them  when  I  talk  of 
the  girls  "outside,"  —  what  they  had  done  for 
Mattie  Colson  she  could  not  have  told  you 
though  she  tried,  her  eves  shinins:  with  tears. 

The  days  had  come  wherein  the  very  matrons 
who  had  said  that  it  was  a  strange  thinof  for 
Mrs.  Roberts  to  take  a  girl  from  the  slums  into 
her  family — that  it  was  "tempting  Providence 
to  attempt  such  violent  Avrenchcs  "  —  now  said 
one  to  another,  that  "  it  must  be  a  great  relief  to 
Mrs.  Roberts  to  have  that  Mattie  Colson  always 


444  Ester  JRied  "Yet  Speaking.'' 

at  her  elbow  to  see  that  everything  about  the 
home  M-as  just  as  it  should  l)e ; "  and  they 
added,  with  a  sigh,  that  "  some  people  were 
very  fortunate." 

Now,  dear  critic,  you  stand  all  ready  to  say 
that  this  is  a  very  nice^oper  storj',  but  that  in 
actual  life  attempts  at  doing  good  do  not  result 
so  smoothly;  that  to  be  "  natural,"  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts ought,  at  least,  to  have  tried  in  vain  to 
reclaim  half  of  her  boys. 

It  is  true,  I  have  said  nothing  to  you  about 
two  or  three  whom  she  has  not  as  yet  reached, 
though  she  is  still  trying.  My  story  was  not 
of  them,  but  of  the  twenty  whom  she  did  reach. 
Concerning  your  verdict,  there  are  two  things 
that  I  want  to  say  :  First,  go  into  the  work,  and 
give  the  time  and  patience  and  faith  and  prayer 
that  Mrs.  Roberts  and  her  fellow-workers  gave, 
before  you  decide  that  it  is  vain. 

And  secondly',  will  you  kindly  remember  that, 
whether  this  be  natural  or  not,  it  is  true? 

I  do  not  think  I  have  told  you  the  immediate 
occasion  of  this  particular  gathering.  It  was, 
in  fact,  a  reception  given  to  Mrs.  Ried.  It  is 
not  likely  that  I  need  tell  you  at  this  late  day 


,  "  Their  Works  do  follow  TJietn."       445 

that  her  name  was  Grade  Dennis  Ried.  I  could 
have  told  you  much  about  it,  had  I  been  writing 
a  story  of  that  sort. 

In  fact,  there  is  a  chance  for  considerable 
romancing.  There  are  matters  of  interest  that 
I  might  tell  you,  about  "  Mr.  Colson  "  himself, 
young  as  he  is ;  and  about  Mattie,  who  wears 
to-night  a  rose  that  she  did  not  pick  from  the 
conservatory ;  but  I  don't  mean  to  tell  it. 

I  have  just  one  other  bit  of  history  to  give 
you.  They  stood  together  for  a  moment  —  the 
young  bridegroom  and  the  lady  with  whom  he 
had  faithfully  worked  ever  since  that  rainy 
afternoon  in  which  he  had  confided  his  gloom  to 
her. 

Both  were  looking  at  the  two  young  men  who 
stood  near  the  piano,  waiting  to  join  in  the 
chorus.  Both  had  known  these  young  men  as 
"Nimble  Dick"  and  "Black  Dirk." 

Still  another  of  the  orioinal  seven  stood  in  the 
immediate  vicinity.  The  glances  of  the  two 
Avorkers  took  them  all  in  ;  then  they  looked  at 
each  other,  and  smiled  meaningly. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  that  first  Sunday 
afternoon,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts.     "  I  asked  them 


446  2i:ster  Ried  "  Yet  Speaking, '' 

to  pick  up  my  handkerchief,  which  had  dropped, 
and  '  Nimble  Dick  '  said,  '  Pick  it  up  yourself, 
mum  !  you  're  as  able  to  as  we  be  ! '  I  wonder 
if  they  would  remember  it?  What  if  I  should 
tell  them ! " 

As  she  spoke  the  bit  of  cambric  in  her  hand 
designedly  dropped  almost  at  the  feet  of  Dirk 
Colson.  He  stooped  for  it  instantly,  but  "Nim- 
ble Dick"  was  too  quick  for  him,  and  presented 
it  to  the  owner  with  a  graceful  bow,  and  a 
slightly  triumphant  smile. 

But  the  chorus  Avas  commencing,  and  the  bass 
and  tenor  were  at  once  absorbed  in  their  work ; 
so  jNIr.  Ried  and  Mrs.  Roberts  had  the  memorial 
laugh  all  to  themselves.  None  but  they  under- 
stood what  the  white  handkerchief  said. 

Despite  the  laughter  there  was  a  suspicious 
mist  in  Mr.  Ried's  eyes. 

"  How  far  is  mirth  removed  from  tears  ?  "  he 
asked  his  hostess.  And  then  ;  "  Do  you  know, 
when  I  look  at  these  young  men,  moving  about 
your  rooms  at  their  ease,  really  ornaments  to 
society,  and  think  of  the  places  in  the  world 
that  they  will  be  likely  to  fill,  and  think  of  what 


''Their  Worlcs  do  follow  Tliem:'        447 

they  were  when  you  first  saw  them,  the  over- 
whehning  contrast  brings  the  tears  !  " 

Said  IMrs.  Roberts  :  — 

"  I  will  tell  you  something  that  will  do  your 
heart  £>-ood. 

"  Did  you  know  that  our  j^oung  lady  helpers 
had  reoro'anized  in  lari^er  force,  and  with  certain 
fixed  lines  of  work,  which  they  feel  certain  they 
can  do? 

"  The  effort  has  passed  out  of  the  realm  of 
mere  experiment. 

"  They  have  chosen  a  name.  They  are  hence- 
forth to  be  known  as  The  Ester  Ried  Band. 

"They  came  to  me  for  a  motto  to  hang  in 
their  rooms,  below  the  name  ;  and  I  gave  them 
this :  — 

"'And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying 
unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which 
die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth :  Yea,  saith 
the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors ; 
and  their  works  do  follow  them.' " 


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Side  by  Side.    Price,*$.60. 

The  Little  Pansy  Series,  10  vols.    Boards,  $-iM.  Cloth,  .?!.(tn. 

Mother's  Boys  and  Girls'  Library,  12  vols.    Quarto  Boards.  $3.00. 

Pansy  Primary  Library,  30  vol.     Cloth.     Price,  .$7.50. 

Half  Hour  Library.    Octavo,  8  vols.     Price,  .1?3.20. 


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